Rate My Professor Luigi-Jules Vandi

Luigi-Jules Vandi is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Chemical Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology at the University of Queensland. He also serves as Director of the Centre for Advanced Materials Processing and Manufacturing (AMPAM). Vandi completed his PhD at the University of Queensland in 2014, submitting a thesis entitled "Understanding the co-cured epoxy/thermoplastic interface in thermoset composite welding," conducted in the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering. His career at UQ encompasses research fellowships, research associate positions, and supervision of honours and PhD theses in mechanical, mining, and chemical engineering.

Vandi's research specializations encompass biocomposites, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), biodegradable polymers, wood-plastic composites (WPCs), and advanced materials processing. He examines thermal, mechanical, rheological properties, biodegradation mechanisms, and processing techniques such as extrusion, 3D printing, and selective laser sintering to develop sustainable bioplastics for packaging, structural, and medical applications. With 48 publications, his scholarship has attracted 1,165 citations and an h-index of 19. Prominent works include "Wood-PHA Composites: Mapping Opportunities" (2018), "Composites of Wood and Biodegradable Thermoplastics: A Review" (2017), "Scalable Fabrication of Self-Reinforced Bioplastic Composites Using Short Fiber Reinforcements" (2025), "Microstructural reorganisation and mechanical property enhancement in PHAs and their wood biocomposites through post-fabrication heat treatment" (2026), "Processing of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB-co-4HB)) Using Acetic Acid: An Eco-friendly Alternative to Chloroform" (2026), and "A biocompatible thermoset polymer binder for Direct Ink Writing of porous titanium scaffolds for bone tissue engineering" (2018). Vandi holds patents including "Process for preparing a hybrid thermoplastic/thermoset polymer material" (2016). His contributions advance eco-friendly materials with mechanical properties rivaling conventional plastics, influencing sustainable manufacturing practices.