List of MEP Research Projects (2016-2017)

Project Code

Project Title

Page
no.

MEPR-010

A greener and cleaner route to the technologically important Ag/Au

bimetallic nanoparticles through simultaneous reduction using the
extract of Ganoderma lucidum (mushroom) cultivated locally in
Malaysia

MEPR-020

Application of computational tools for design and analysis of

renewable energy systems in the energy marketplace

MEPR-030

Application of computational tools for the design of solvents for the

extraction of palm oil from palm pressed fibre

MEPR-040

Assessment of biochar quality and its potential for wastewater

treatment

MEPR-050

Bio-active fertilizer: synthesis and performance evaluation

MEPR-060

Co-pyrolysis of palm based biomass with palm oil sludge for the
production of high pH bio-oil

MEPR-070

Debottlenecking of the integrated biomass network with

sustainability index

MEPR-080

Development and characterization of a new adsorbent for the

treatment of industrial wastewater

MEPR-090

Development of 3D printer from e-waste

MEPR-100

Development of an environmental friendly plastic filament from agrowastes as green feedstock for 3D printer

10

MEPR-110

Development of a novel air filter by the deposition of graphene

nanoparticles on polyethersulphone for the removal of volatile
organic compounds and ozone

11

MEPR-120

Development of catalysts for selective partial hydrogenation of

edible oils with low trans fats

12

MEPR-130

Devulcanization of rubber crumb using deep eutectic solvent

13

MEPR-140

Effects of crosslinking on the physical properties of chitosan

composite scaffolds

14

MEPR-150

Effects of pre-treatment and drying method on colour and

antioxidant retention of turmeric leaves powder (Curcuma longa
L.)

15

MEPR-160

Electrolysis of hydroxylammonium nitrate as liquid monopropellant

16

MEPR-170

Enzymatic polymerisation - An alternative to conventional

polymerization

16

MEPR-180

Evaluation of a novel carbon-based adsorbent for the treatment of

industrial wastewater

17

MEPR-190

Flexible heating fabric from recycled carbon fibres: Optimisation of

thermoelectric properties using design of experiments

18

MEPR-200

Formation of stable nano emulsion droplets for potential drug

delivery systems

19

MEPR-210

Hybrid microfluidic devices

19

MEPR-220

Microplastics - environmental threat or overlooked opportunity?

20

MEPR-230

Optimization of ligninolytic enzymes production from white-rot

fungus

21

MEPR-240

Osmotic dehydration of tropical fruits immersed in natural fruit

juices

21

MEPR-250

Preparation and evaluation of novel plant-based coagulantflocculants for the treatment of agricultural wastewater

22

MEPR-260

Protein production from microalgae

23

MEPR-270

Study of antioxidant capacity and antioxidant component from

underutilised crops using aqueous two phase flotation

24

MEPR-280

Study on the emulsification techniques for bio-oil and diesel

mixture to improve stability

25

MEPR-290

Synthesis and characterization of graphene-MoS2 based hybrid

nanolubricant

26

MEPR-300

Synthesis of a sustainable sago value chain via an extended fuzzy

multi-footprint optimisation approach

27

MEPR-310

Systematic hierarchical approach for process synthesis and design

of integrated biorefinery

28

MEPR-320

Thermodynamic properties of acetaminophen in ionic liquids and

PEGs: Experimental and molecular simulation

29

Research Project Outlines (2016-2017)

Project code:

MEPR-010

Title:

A greener and cleaner route to the technologically important Ag/Au

bimetallic nanoparticles through simultaneous reduction using the extract of
Ganoderma lucidum (mushroom) cultivated locally in Malaysia

Supervisor:

Prof Sivakumar Manickam

Project description:
Ag/Au bimetallic nanoparticles (BNPs) have unique catalytic, electronic, and optical
properties, which are distinct from those of the corresponding monometallic nanoparticles
(MNPs). These interesting properties are dependent not only on the elemental compositions
but also on their geometrical arrangements. The fabricated Ag/Au bimetallic nanoparticles
can be generally divided into two types in the structure: the alloyed and the core/shell
structure BNPs. The alloyed Ag/Au BNPs are usually synthesized by the simultaneous
reduction of both salts in solution, while the core/shell Ag/Au BNPs have been fabricated by
controlled deposition of the shell metal onto a seed of the core metal. Formation of the
core/shell structure Ag/Au BNPs using simultaneous reduction of NaBH4 (rapid injection of
NaBH4) and self-organization of mixing Au colloidal dispersions with Ag+ solutions at room
temperature has also been reported.
The present investigation proposes to use a simple and one-pot strategy to synthesise
Ag/Au bimetallic nanoparticles using an easily available over-the-counter medicinal and
edible mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum. The proposed method evades the use of harmful
chemicals and probably requires short reaction time. The obtained bimetallic nanoparticles
will be characterised for their size, purity and morphology using Zetasizer, XRD and SEM.

Project code:

MEPR-020

Title:

Application of computational tools for design and analysis of renewable

energy systems in the energy marketplace

Supervisors:

Prof Dominic Foo, Prof Denny Ng

Project description:
Note: This project is computational in nature. Students who are interested in/willing to
learn mathematical modelling and optimisation approaches and represent physical
phenomena as mathematical models are encouraged to work in this project.
Sustainability issues pertaining to climate change and natural resource consumption are
now considered to be an essential aspect of process engineering decision-making. In
response to such problems, policy makers have sanctioned forceful pollution taxes and
regulations in order to push the energy marketplace to seek more sustainable and
renewable resources. However, the challenge is to convince stakeholders in the energy
marketplace to invest in renewable energy. In order to address this issue, this project is
proposed to make use of mathematical and optimisation techniques along with process
design tools to identify a renewable energy system which is economically feasible and is
able to penetrate the energy marketplace. Note also that this project is business-centred
but requires process engineering background to identify the best processes for the
renewable energy system to penetrate the energy marketplace.
The objectives of this project are:
1. To design the appropriate process and renewable energy source for a renewable energy
system
2. To develop an analysis tool for policy makers/engineers/stakeholders to use in engaging
joint-ventures for the renewable energy sector.

Project code:

MEPR-030

Title:

Application of computational tools for the design of solvents for the

extraction of palm oil from palm pressed fibre

Supervisors:

Dr Nishanth Chemmangattuvalappil, Prof Denny Ng Kok Sum

Project description:
Note: This project is computational in nature. Students who are interested in/willing to
learn mathematical modelling and optimisation approaches and represent physical
phenomena as mathematical model are encouraged to work in this project.
In this project, it is proposed to make use of molecular design techniques along with
process design tools to identify a new solvent to replace hexane for oil extraction. Palm
pressed fiber (PPF) is a by-product from oil extraction of oil palm fruits. In the current
industry practise, PPF is normally burned as fuel in the biomass boiler to generate heat and
power for the palm oil mill. Due the increasing value of crude palm oil, various technologies
have been developed for recovery of oil from PPF. Hexane cold extraction has been
identified as the most effective way of recovery the oil from PPF. However, due to the
toxicity of hexane, the extracted oil via hexane cannot use as food application. Therefore,
in order to overcome these issues, alternative solvents which are able to perform the
similar performance of hexane should be identified or developed. The application of
molecular design tools (a mathematical optimisation based approach to identify molecular
structures that meet a set of target properties).
The objectives of this project are:
1. Identify the relevant thermodynamic and biological properties of the potential solvent
and appropriate models to predict the target properties.
2. Design the appropriate process and operating conditions for the extraction of palm oil
and recovery of solvent.
3. Identify the optimal solvents using molecular design tools by simultaneously considering
the process and operating conditions.

Project code:

MEPR-040

Title:

Assessment of biochar quality and its potential for wastewater treatment

Supervisors:

Dr Anurita Selvarajoo, Dr Vasanthi Sethu, Dr Senthil Kumar Arumugasamy

Project description:
Biochar can be produced in every country using biomass from biowaste (which includes
biodegradable municipal and agricultural waste) or purpose-grown re-growing biomass
plantations. Recent studies show the potential of using biochar as adsorbent for the
removal of contaminants, mainly organic, from solutions, soils and hazardous wastes.
Biochar can be used as an alternative adsorbent for the clean-up of wastewaters and
management of industrial waste. In this study, biomass will be subjected to pyrolysis for
the production of biochar. The potential of biochar to remove heavy metals, namely Cu,
from solutions will be investigated. The quality of the produced biochar will be assessed by
evaluating its main properties, namely pyrolysis yield, pH, volatile matter, char, fixed
carbon, ash and C, H, S, N content. Thermogravimetric analysis (TG), Fourier Transform
Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used for the
identification of the morphology and structure of the produced biochar.

Project code:

MEPR-050

Title:

Bio-active fertilizer: synthesis and performance evaluation

Supervisor:

DDr Lam Hon Loong

Project description:
The excessive use of chemical fertilizers brings serious environmental impact especially on
the natural soil condition. The phenomena of uncontrolled usage of chemical fertilizer can
spoil the soil properties such as osmotic pressure, pH, conductivity and water holding
capacity. Furthermore, it also affect adversely on population of microorganisms and other
parameters.
In order to improve the soil condition and ecosystem, organic fertilizer is a better
alternative. However, conventional organic fertilizer is not use in the commercial large scale
plantation, mainly because if the nutrition (N, P, and K) effect is very low and the
harvesting result are not good. Therefore a bio-active fertilizer is proposed as the
alternative solution for the plantation scale. This new fertilizer solution should contain 2
characteristic, (1) to improve the soil condition naturally (2) to supply higher NPK values to
the commercial crops as compare to conventional organic fertilizer.
In this project, students are going to produce a range of organic fertilizer with different
type/mixture of biomass resources. The product characteristics will be tasted and analysed.

Project code:

MEPR-060

Title:

Co-pyrolysis of palm based biomass with palm oil sludge for the production
of high pH bio-oil

Supervisor:

Dr Suchithra Thangalazhy Gopakumar

Project description:
Biomass is the only renewable energy source for carbon-based fuels and for chemicals. Fast
pyrolysis is one of the thermochemical methods in bioenergy, which has the advantage of
handling different types of feedstock and convert as liquid. The carbon rich liquid product of
fast pyrolysis is known as bio-crude oil or bio-oil, which has many applications as similar to
crude oil. Though many applications have been technically possible, storage and processing
of bio-oil is not economically succeeded yet. One of the major reasons is very low pH (2 -3)
due to the presence of numerous organic acids. This project is focusing a simple method to
improve the pH of bio-oil by incorporating palm oil sludge during pyrolysis of palm based
biomass like empty fruit brunch, palm kernel shells. In this project, biomass and sludge at
different ratios will be taken for pyrolysis. The composition of bio-oil produced at different
conditions will be investigated for the change in chemical composition.

Project code:

MEPR-070

Title:

Debottlenecking of the integrated biomass network with sustainability index

Supervisor:

DDr Lam Hon Loong

Project description:
Biomass network problem is a multi-objective optimisation problem since the objectives of
each sustainability dimension and (or) the objectives of each components under a same
sustainability dimension can be conflicting. It is rarely exist a single solution that
simultaneously satisfied all objectives. Therefore, achieving optimum for one objective
requires compromise of other objectives. For examples, profit can be contradicting to safety
cost or environmental impacts; total carbon footprint can be inversely correlated to the
total Foot-to-Energy Footprint. Bottlenecks occur everywhere along the entire network or
supply chain. A bottleneck in the network not only determines the throughput of a supply
chain, but also limits the sustainability performance of the supply chain in term of
economic, environmental and social dimensions. De-bottlenecking is carried out in order to
improve the sustainability performance of the integrated biomass network so that the
communities requirements are satisfied.

Project code:

MEPR-080

Title:

Development and characterization of a new adsorbent for the treatment of

industrial wastewater

Supervisors:

Dr Lee Lai Yee, Prof Gan Suyin

Project description:
There has been increasing concern on the discharge of dyes into the aquatic environment
due to their detrimental effects on human health. Because of the possibility of them
entering the food chain via wastewater discharges into water systems, there is a need to
remove them from industrial effluents. Adsorption is a promising technology, and several
adsorbing media, such as activated carbon, fly ash, dried activated sludge and mordenite,
have been reported to be capable of sequestrating dyes from industrial effluents. However,
due to limited performance of these adsorbents, research efforts have been dedicated to
develop new adsorbents with higher efficiencies.
Nanoporous carbons are relatively new adsorbents. They are rolled up graphene sheets
which can exist as single-walled or multiwalled depending on their preparation conditions.
They have been shown to possess very good mechanical properties, high chemical and
thermal stability, as well as large surface area. Therefore, it is desirable to use such
adsorbing material for removal of dyes. In this research, nanoporous carbons will be
treated with suitable chemical reagents. The prepared samples will be analysed by
Micromeritics surface analyser, Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron
microscope. The fundamental adsorption properties will be determined by a batch sorption
apparatus.

Project code:

MEPR-090

Title:

Development of 3D printer from e-waste

Supervisors:

Dr Faye Chong

(External supervisor: Dr Guan-Ting Pan)

Project description:
3D printers started to gain popularity with the establishment of the first two open-source
3D printers, namely RepRap and Fab@Home. RepRap, established in 2004 by Adrian
Bowyer, uses fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology to lay down material in layers and
costs about 1,000 USD. Fab@Home, established in 2006 by a group of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering students at Cornell University and closed in 2012, uses a syringebased deposition system to deposit material and costs approximately 2,300 USD. Since
then, various brands of desktop/home 3D printers have been manufactured. Most are based
on FFF technology due to its relatively low cost and high flexibility. A desk-size machine can
magically make any items, from coins, chairs, clothes, tools, up to artificial limb and kidney.
Looking at the wide spread of 3D printers in the community, this project will involve the
development of a home 3D printer using e-waste as the building material. This custom 3D
printer made of recycled e-waste will optimistically serve as an educational tool to raise the
importance of waste generation and recycling. The proposed framework not only provides
new guidelines for material recycling process, drawing more public engagement in doing
recycling, but also helps to shape a better and greener 3D printing industry. The project
stages are tentatively as follows: (1) Preparing a 3D printer prototype design; (2) Ensuring
sufficient amount of collected e-wastes and assembling the prototype; (3) Testing and
optimisation; and (4) Promoting environmental protection and recycling awareness.

Project code:

MEPR-100

Title:

Development of an environmental friendly plastic filament from agro-wastes

as green feedstock for 3D printer

Supervisors:

Dr Faye Chong, Dr Lee Lai Yee

Project description:
Three-dimensional (3D) printing, an additive manufacturing technology in which the object
is built layer by layer, is receiving a significant interest not only by the industries, but also
general public. It is different than the conventional subtractive manufacturing method in
which the objects are constructed by removing the unwanted parts away from a block of
materials. Due to its nature, 3D printing contains the potential to be a green alternative.
For 3D printing to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable, the major aspect
worth investigating is to replace the virgin feedstock with recycled materials, such as postconsumer plastics. However, there are some gaps and limitations, notably: (1) lacking of a
sustainable production of the raw materials for 3D printers most of which are utilizing fossilfuel derived materials; (2) challenges in producing high-quality waste-derived 3D printing
filaments; and (3) lacking of a standard plastics recycling system in Malaysia. Taking the
above-mentioned limitation into consideration, this project involves the preparation of novel
waste-derived filaments by incorporating waste plastics with agricultural wastes. The use of
the waste materials for development of filaments can make the process more sustainable
and help to reduce the environmental footprint. The challenge lies within enhancing the
filament quality to be comparable to those virgin materials.

10

Project code:

MEPR-110

Title:

Development of a novel air filter by the deposition of graphene

nanoparticles on polyethersulphone for the removal of volatile organic
compounds and ozone

Supervisors:

Dr Lau Phei Li, Prof Sivakumar Manickam

(External: Prof Andy Chan)

Project description:
Indoor and outdoor air quality has been a main environmental concern in recent years,
especially in urban areas. Ozone and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are ubiquitous
indoor and outdoor air pollutants that are present in considerable amounts, which pose
serious threats to human well-being. Conventional high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA)
filters are not overly effective in removing gaseous air pollutants, especially the odorous
VOCs and ozone. Unfortunately there is insufficient work devoted to develop the
technologies to remove these two pollutants. This research proposes a methodology to
develop an adsorption-type air filter using graphene nanoparticles (GNPs) deposited on
polyethersulfone (PES) membrane to remove VOCs and ozone. Not only is the PES
membrane capable of withstanding relatively higher temperatures, it also possesses
excellent chemical-binding characteristics, making it an ideal filtration material. However,
the use of PES in air quality application has not been explored yet and it is believed that
this substrate has good potential in the air industry. Meanwhile, the use of graphene
nanoparticles (GNPs) as adsorbent has been proven to possess extremely powerful
adsorption ability. GNP is considered as an additional agent to remove VOCs and ozone. To
incorporate the GNPs into the PES membrane, ultrasound cavitation (USC) technology will
be utilised. The main aim of the current investigation is to deposit GNPs on PES membrane
using USC technology with the following objectives: (1) To determine the effect of GNP
concentration on the removal ability of VOCs and ozone. (2) To determine the effect of USC
parameters such as: ultrasound irradiation time, frequency of ultrasound wave, intensity of
the ultrasound power etc. on the effect of removal ability of VOCs and ozone.

11

Project code:

MEPR-120

Title:

Development of catalysts for selective partial hydrogenation of edible oils

with low trans fats

Supervisor:

Dr Joyce Tiong

Project description:
Naturally occurring plants (i.e. Oil palm) produce edible oils, which are essential raw
materials for many household products such as cooking and salad oils, margarines and
confectionary coatings. Typically, these oils undergo partial hydrogenation process to
improve the stability and plastic properties. However, industrial hydrogenations are
typically carried out in the presence of supported nickel catalyst, which tends to induce
isomerization of cis- fats to trans- fats. Trans- fats consumption is detrimental to health and
legislation has required edible oil manufacturers to come up with ways to limit the amount
of trans- fats in their products. This proposal will involve synthesizing a series of catalysts
for the partial hydrogenation of edible oil with a low selectivity for isomerization of cis- fats
to trans- fats. The corresponding catalysts are then characterized and tested in a laboratory
three-phase hydrogenation process. This project will suit candidates who have interest in
heterogeneous catalysis.

12

Project code:

MEPR-130

Title:

Devulcanization of rubber crumb using deep eutectic solvent

Supervisor:

Dr Mohammad Khalid Siddiqui

Project description:
The yearly global consumption of vulcanized elastomer is 17.2 million tons[1] of which
approximately 39% is natural rubber and the remaining 61% consists of other synthetic
rubbers. To improve the properties of rubber vulcanization is required. But once the rubber
is cross-linked, it became very difficult to recycle. Physically and chemically many attempts
were made to reuse the vulcanized rubber. The physical process consists of mechanical,
thermomechanical, cryomechanical, microwaves, and ultrasound methods. In chemical
reclaiming processes different types of disulfide, thiol, and catalyst are used. However,
currently no technique exists that revertses maximum mechanical properties of vulcanized
natural. The devulcanization and reutilization of cross-linked elastomers are very difficult
because of the three-dimentional network. This network makes the material insoluble and
nonmelting. The concept of devulcanization means the cleavage of cross-linking sulphur
bonds in rubber vulcanizates, without cleavage of the polymer chain bonds. Devulcanization
is recognized as the best way of utilizing rubber waste because it assumes renewal of the
original chemical formula of elastomers and provides a possibility of recovering elastomers
from rubber vulcanizate waste. It allows cross-linking and the re-use of the recovered
elastomers in rubber products. Very important ecological aspects are also involved,
particularly in the range of utilization of waste tyres. In practice, however, a pure
devulcanization process is very difficult to achieve since many problems are caused by
accompanying chemical transitions such as depolymerization, thermal destruction and
oxidation, which worsen the properties of the recovered elastomers.
Recently, applications of ionic liquids (ILs) have been reported in many recovery and
catalytic applications. However, ILs are generally considered too expensive for large scale
industrial applications. Moreover, certain types of ILs are non-biodegradable and toxic. An
alternative class of ILs called Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) have recently been discovered
and investigated upon. A DES generally composed of two or more components that are
capable of self-association, to form eutectic mixture with a melting point lower than that of
each individual component. DESs are non-toxic, biodegradable, recyclable, non-flammable,
environmentally friendly and cheap. Therefore, DESs have found application in fields like
extraction/separation, solvent development/reaction medium, hydrometallurgy, etc. In this
study, the effectiveness of two different types of DESs, Choline Chloride:Glycerol(1:2) and
Choline Chloride:Urea(1:2), in devulcanization of rubber crumb will be investigated.

13

Project code:

MEPR-140

Title:

Effects of crosslinking on the physical properties of chitosan composite

scaffolds

Supervisor:

Dr Lim Siew Shee

Project description:
Bone scaffolds with macroporous interconnectivity serve as temporary support and facilitate
bone ingrowth at defective bone sites. They are fabricated to closely imitate spongy bones.
Cell adhesion on bone scaffolds is the prerequisite of cell growth. The success of bone
scaffolds in term of securing osteoblastic adhesion partly lies in their hydrophilicity.
Therefore, chitosan has been extensively studied as biomedical materials due to its high
hydrophilicity, moldability, biodegradability and anti-bacterial property. Chitosan is partially
deacetylated derivative of chitin and derived from as exoskeleton of insects, crustaceans,
fungi. However, pure chitosan scaffold was report to exhibit low compressive modulus due
to its high biodegradability. To overcome this, the reinforcement of chitosan scaffolds
becomes necessary. Crosslinking of chitosan scaffolds and incorporation of filler in chitosan
matrix are employed for the mechanical improvement of scaffolds. In the current study, a
biowaste will be incorporated into chitosan scaffolds at fixed weight percent prior to any
crosslinking treatment. Microstructure characterization of chitosan scaffolds with and
without crosslinking treatment will be conducted to investigate the effects of crosslinking on
physical properties of chitosan composite scaffolds.

14

Project code:

MEPR-150

Title:

Effects of pre-treatment and drying method on colour and antioxidant

retention of turmeric leaves powder (Curcuma longa L.)

Supervisor:

Dr Ong Sze Pheng

Project description:
Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is a plant of ginger family and it is extensively cultivated in
tropical part of south and Southeast Asia. The root of this plant consists of rhizome which is
often used for medicinal and culinary purposes (particularly in Nyonya and Malay cuisines).
Studies revealed that turmeric can be used in treatments of several diseases such as
multiple myeloma, Alzheimers, psoriasis and myelodysplastic syndrome. It was proven also
effective in some medical applications of skin and muscle anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial,
anti-carcinogenic, antifungal, antimicrobial and anticancer. The leaves of turmeric are used
extensively in African and Asian culinary preparations as well due to its aroma. Recent
studies showed essential oil of turmeric leaves possess potential in the control of
aflatoxigenic fungus A. flavus and aflatoxin production. Typically, the fresh leaves are
cooked and used like spices. They also can be dried and crushed into a powder for
convinient use when the fresh leaves are not accessible. However, drying turmeric leaves
could destroy some of the active bio-ingredients and nutritional values. Studies revealed
that thermal heating during drying would degrade the magnesium compounds as well as
chlorophyll in the leaves and the final product would with unattractive dull green-yellow
colour. Therefore, the present project aims to improve the quality of dried turmeric leaves
by performing pre-treatment before drying is conducted. Studies will be performed to
determine the relationship between chlorophyll content and colour changes as well as to
evaluate the stability of antioxidant properties during storage.
The present study embarks on the following objectives and scopes:
1. To evaluate and compare the performance of freeze dryer (-50C), vacuum dryer (40C
to 80C) and convective hot air dryer (40C to 80C) and adsorption drying in the
drying of turmeric leaves
2. To evaluate the effects of pre-treatment on the quality of dried turmeric leaves
3. To determine the physical quality of turmeric leaves in terms of final moisture content,
water activity, colour and microstructure
4. To determine the retention of chlorophyll and antioxidant properties (DPPH and ABTS
radical scavenging activity) of turmeric leaves
5. To evaluate the stability and shelf-life of dried turmeric leaves under conventional
storage conditions.

15

Project code:

MEPR-160

Title:

Electrolysis of hydroxylammonium nitrate as liquid monopropellant

Supervisors:

Dr Chin Jit Kai

(External: Dr Kean How Cheah, Dr Kai Seng Koh)

Project description:
Hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN) is poised to be next generation green liquid
monopropellant for rockets because it generates clean byproducts and less toxic. Our
preliminary result shows that electrolysis of HAN mixture is more energy efficient than the
conventional combustion method. The addition of fuel component into the HAN mixture
plays an important role in various phenomena of the process. This work is aimed to
characterise electrolysis of HAN mixtures and identify processes involved. The research
project is suitable for students who prefer mixed experimental and theoretical work. The
work also involved external supervisors.

Project code:

MEPR-170

Title:

Enzymatic polymerisation - An alternative to conventional polymerization

Supervisor:

Dr Senthil Kumar Arumugasamy

Project description:
Technical progress has created an impact in the efficient production of industrially
important Poly Capro Lactone (PCL). Owing to the wide range of applications particularly
creating social impacts like their usage in drug delivery and tissue bioengineering, their
demand has reached unprecedented numbers. Either chemical methods or enzymatic
approaches have been known to produce PCL. Non-specificity, chemical-toxicity, harsh
conditions are major drawbacks of chemical methods leading to the use of the enzymecatalysed methods. Lately PCL has been produced by ring opening polymerization of -CL
with several enzymes as catalysts namely various lipases of different origin, and also by
various other non-lipase enzymes. In this proposed research a novel enzyme: lipase from
Thermomyces lanuginosus (TLL) (previously Humicola lanuginosa) would be used. The
objectives of this research are:
To optimize the conditions (parameters) needed to produce polycaprolactone from
epsilon caprolactone using TLL as catalyst.
To perform the enzymatic polymerization experiments and determine the conditions
at which high molecular mass polymers are produced.
To perform characterization studies using NMR and FTIR to determine the substrate
conversion etc.

16

Project code:

MEPR-180

Title:

Evaluation of a novel carbon-based adsorbent for the treatment of industrial

wastewater

Supervisors:

Dr Lee Lai Yee, Prof Gan Suyin

Project description:
Activated carbon is widely used as an adsorbent in many applications including water
purification, air separation and catalyst support, due to its high specific surface area and
ability to capture a wide variety of toxic pollutants to non-detectable level. The starting
materials commonly used to manufacture commercial activated carbons are those with high
carbon contents such as anthracite and coal, which are relatively cost-intensive and nonrenewable resources. There is a growing interest in utilising low-cost and abundantly
available agricultural wastes as precursors for activated carbon. The use of these wastes
can help to reduce the problem of their disposal as well as generate significant
environmental and economical benefits. The objective of this project is to prepare a new
activated carbon from local agricultural residues. The synthesis steps will be optimised by
varying the process parameters. The efficiency of the prepared adsorbent in removing an
industrial pollutant in aqueous solutions will be evaluated by batch sorption system. To
determine the mechanisms of sorption, the experimental data will be fitted with suitable
theoretical models.

17

Project code:

MEPR-190

Title:

Flexible heating fabric from recycled carbon fibres: Optimisation of

thermoelectric properties using design of experiments

Supervisors:

Dr Lau Phei Li

(External supervisor: Prof Andy Chan)

Project description:
The increasing usage of carbon fibres in the aerospace, automotive and sports goods
industries has led to end-of-life concerns of the used composites. An estimated 3,000
tonnes of carbon fibre scrap are generated annually in USA and Europe alone. The disposal
of carbon fibre through incineration or landfill has been banned as it is non-biodegradable
and non-photodegradable. Therefore, there is an urgent need for recycling. A novel
application is to transform the recycled carbon fibres (RCFs) into a thermoelectric fabric for
heating purposes. This flexible fabric finds applications in temperature-controlled apparels
(heated jacket), food deliveries (pizza bags), medical devices and energy harvesting. The
RCF will be coated with a semiconductor (bismuth telluride) using electrodeposition to
improve its thermoelectric properties. The primary parameters that will characterise the
performance of the chemically-modified RCF include: deposition potential, duration,
temperature, and electrolyte composition. Conventional optimisation studies focus on one
single parameter variation at a time, which is time-consuming, as well as energy and
material demanding. More importantly, this approach is impractical as it masks the
combined effect of the parameters. This study aims to determine the simultaneous interplay
of the parameters using the Design of Experiments (DoE) approach, which has not been
attempted previously. Response Surface Methodolgy (RSM) will be used to model and
optimise the parameters. Optimum conditions for the electrodeposition parameters with the
least amount of chemicals, time and energy consumption will also be determined. This will
have implications of commercial applications of the RCF thermoelectric modules.

18

Project code:

MEPR-200

Title:

Formation of stable nano emulsion droplets for potential drug delivery

systems

Supervisor:

Dr Joyce Tiong

Project description:
One of the challenges in the field of targeted drug delivery is to form consistently sized
nano emulsion droplets. One of the methods to form nano emulsions includes the use of
power ultrasound. When the sound wave passes through a oil and liquid medium, it will
produce high enough shear force to break and disperse the oil into water systems, hence
producing stable, long lasting, nano sized emulsion droplets.
This project aims to utilise power ultrasound to form various oil in water emulsion. Upon
success, these will be transferred into a see-through micro scale channel to mimic drug
delivery systems. Interested candidates may feel free to contact me via email
(Joyce.tiong@nottingham.edu.my) or in person to know more about the project.

Project code:

MEPR-210

Title:

Hybrid microfluidic devices

Supervisors:

Dr Chin Jit Kai, Dr Faye Chong

(External: Dr Juyen Fu)

Project description:
Microfluidic technology is a branch of miniaturisation technology that developed rapidly
since a decade ago. It is useful for various applications in industries and bioscience research
applications. In this project, hybrid microfluidic devices will be constructed using
lithography and 3D printing respectively. The devices will then be characterised and tested
for double emulsions. Parameters of 3D printing will be characterised, fabrication and
integration of the devices will also be investigated. The project is suitable for students who
prefer experimental work without much theory work involved.

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Project code:

MEPR-220

Title:

Microplastics - environmental threat or overlooked opportunity?

Supervisor:

Dr Svenja Hanson

Project description:
There has been a lot of interest recently in the environmental sciences in plastic waste,
which disintegrates into surprisingly small particles much faster than this formerly thought
inert material was expected to when exposed to the marine environment, ie salt water and
sun. It was also suggested that those microplastics develop adsorbent properties, which
environmental scientists see as a problem as they could concentrate and retain pollutants,
especially hydrocarbons. Examined from an engineering perspective this is an opportunity
which seems to have been missed. Im more than happy to supervise a group working on
an aspect of this problem. Roughly I can foresee 3 project categories, with some potential
of individuals in the group emphasising on different aspects:
1.

Activation of mixed domestic plastics waste for removal of hydrocarbons from

contaminated water. In this project type the more likely marine environment factors
leading to the suspected activation of microplastics, exposure to saline solution and
intense uv radiation, will be re-created in the laboratory and the exposed plastics
tested for promising properties as an absorbent. Adsorption tests can be added for
model hydrocarbons

2. Characterisation of microplastics in Malaysian marine water and soil/sediment

samples. It seems in Malaysia microplastics have not yet been comprehensively
surveyed. For this project samples of marine soil and water will be collected at
selected coastal areas and tested for microplastics content and their characteristics.
Warning - requires travel/fieldwork and microscopy. Most suitable for with
environmentals keen on using their field work planning and execution skills.
3. Modelling the combustion of hydrocarbon pollutant bearing microplastics. This
project will take a theoretical look at the end of life of a microplastic adsorbent,
which will have to be disposed of in such a way that the contamination it cleaned up
does not merely result in a new pollution problem elsewhere. It is likely to be
combustion. The project aims to research the literature as to which factors are
involved. The starting hypothesis it that temperature and residence time in the
combustion zone are crucial. The information will be used to construct a model that
predicts which burner/incinerator configurations and co-combustion arrangements
are likely to be suitable. By suitable the complete conversion of both, the plastics
and the hydrocarbons, to CO2 and H2O is meant.
Note: do not confuse these degradation derived microplastics with the so-called nanplastics deliberately added to products which have been in the news. Not the same. these
microplastics are the result of non-recyclable plastics which make their way into the
environment. If it turns out that they can be made into cheap, effective adsorbents they
may become wanted and no longer be carelessly discarded.

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Project code:

MEPR-230

Title:

Optimization of ligninolytic enzymes production from white-rot fungus

Supervisor:

Dr Chan Yi Jing

Project description:
Lignocellulosic biomass can be classified into 4 groups based on type of resource, forest
residue, municipal solid waste, waste paper, and crop residue resources. The structural and
chemical composition of lignocellulosic materials is highly variable because of genetic and
environmental influences and their interactions. Lignocellulose is made up mainly of
cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignins in various proportions. Of all the structures mentioned
above, lignin serves several important structural, protective, and supportive functions in the
cell wall matrix of plants. However, the strong structure of lignin became an obstacle for
efficient bioconversion of cell wall polysaccharides in biomass to useful sugars for
fermentation to liquid fuels. Hence, the removal of lignin compounds is essential to improve
the quality of biomass. This can be achieved by the application of ligninolytic enzymes that
specifically degrades lignin. Hence, the aim of this project is to obtain the optimum
operating conditions for maximum production of ligninolytic enzymes from white rot fungi.
The specific objectives of this project are:
- To produce ligninolytic enzymes from white rot-fungi.
- To optimize the operating parameters for maximum ligninolytic enzymes production.

Project code:

MEPR-240

Title:

Osmotic dehydration of tropical fruits immersed in natural fruit juices

Supervisors:

Dr Hii Ching Lik, Dr Ong Sze Pheng

Project description:
Osmotic dehydration is a process where food is typically preserved by dipping in
concentrated salt or sugar solutions. The mechanism of osmotic dehydration can be divided
into two phases namely (i) water outflow from product to solution (ii) solute transfer from
solution to product. In this way, water is partially removed from the food products and
treated product can be consumed instantly or subject to further drying to produce dried
products. However, dipping in salt/sugar solutions create negative perceptions from
consumers due to addition of salt/sugar solutes into the products. In this project, selected
tropical fruits (e.g. star fruit/ambarella/others) will be immersed in natural fruit juices (e.g.
pineapple juice). Product quality will be assessed in terms of antioxidant activities, total
polyphenols, colour and microstructure. Mass transfer kinetics will be investigated during
the dehydration/drying process.

21

Project code:

MEPR-250

Title:

Preparation and evaluation of novel plant-based coagulant-flocculants for

the treatment of agricultural wastewater

Supervisors:

Dr Vasanthi Sethu, Dr Anurita Selvarajoo

Project description:
Agricultural industries generate highly polluted wastewaters that need appropriate
treatment prior to release into water bodies or further utilisation. Currently biological and
chemical treatment methods are applied, but at times, even these methods fail to comply
with the discharge regulations. Thus, industries have looked into more efficient physicochemical treatment options such as coagulation and flocculation. Many types of coagulants
and flocculants are widely used in the conventional wastewater treatment processes. These
coagulants can be inorganic coagulants (e.g., aluminium sulfate and polyaluminium
chloride), synthetic organic polymers (e.g., polyacrylamide derivatives) or naturally
occurring flocculants (e.g., microbial flocculants). These coagulants and flocculants are used
for different purposes, depending on their chemical characteristics. Aluminium sulphate
(Alum) an inorganic salt, is the most widely used coagulant in water and wastewater
treatment. However, due to the high level of aluminium concentrations (toxicity) in water, it
is not an attractive choice these days. Besides that, they are also high in cost and this
prohibits many medium and small scale industries from using them.
The present study proposes an improved, cost effective and environmentally friendly
treatment system for contaminated agricultural wastewater that involves the use of plantbased natural materials for coagulation and flocculation. The material chosen will function
as both a coagulant and flocculant, thus there is no need of large amounts of material to
treat the wastewater. For this research study, three different types of natural materials will
be prepared and tested their efficiencies for the removal of total suspended solids (TSS)
and turbidity from the wastewater. Important process parameters such as the COD, BOD,
pH, temperatures and sludge settling time will be evaluated and optimised. The
spectrophotometer and other equipment will be used for the analyses. Both laboratorysimulated and actual agricultural wastewaters will be tested. Sludge generated from the
wastewater treatment will be tested for its potential as fertiliser or fuel. Thus, zero waste is
generated from this treatment process. This project will suit candidates with sheer interest
in the area of environmental engineering, with a focus on wastewater treatment.

22

Project code:

MEPR-260

Title:

Protein production from microalgae

Supervisor:

Dr Show Pau Loke

Project description:
According to a report by The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,
human consumption of fish increased from 137.3 million tons in 2006 to 153.6 million tons
in 2011. However, the amount of fish captured from freshwater and seas has been
maintained at around 90 million tons every year, while fish production from the aquaculture
sector increased from 47.3 to 63.6 million tons over the period 2006 to 2011. Given the
depletion of wild fish resources and the need to allow those resources to recover naturally,
the aquaculture sector has seen a rapid growth to supplement the global demand for fish.
High-value fish species in aquaculture are often carnivorous, consuming more than
400 g/kg of protein. This high protein diet is commonly provided by fishmeal the main
protein source in aquafeed. The increasing demand for fishmeal has caused a significant
rise in the price of fishmeal, thus sparking the search for alternatives, with microalgal
protein being a promising source. Therefore, the objectives of this research project are:
1. Cultivate microalgae for protein production.
2. Study the efficiencies of different cell disruption methods.
3. Study the efficiencies of different protein extraction methods.

23

Project code:

MEPR-270

Title:

Study of antioxidant capacity and antioxidant component from underutilised

crops using aqueous two phase flotation

Supervisor:

Dr Show Pau Loke

Project description:
Underutilised or neglected crops (including flowers, fruits and vegetables) species can be
defined as indigenous ancient crops species which are still used at some level within the
local, national or even international communities. Recently, they have gained increasing
attention due to their potential applications in food science. Underutilised crops are believed
to contain significant amount of bioactive ingredients or antioxidant components and
therefore exhibited bioactivities like anti-carcinogenic and antioxidant properties.
Aqueous two phase flotation (ATPF), which has the advantages of both solvent extraction
and aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE), is an effective separation technique for
separating strongly polar compounds. ATPE is an effective, environment friendly,
economically viable separation method. It is widely applied for separation of biomaterials
like proteins, amino acids, DNA, and amongst others. Furthermore, ATPE can also be used
to extract some active compounds from natural products. Compared to ATPE and solvent
extraction, ATPF gives a higher concentration coefficient and a reduced consumption of
organic solvents. Therefore, it is more efficient, environment friendly and economically
applicable in natural product extraction.
This project is aimed to study the antioxidant capacity and antioxidant component from
underutilised crops using ATPF. Also, the popularity of underutilised crops is wish to
increase as they have a potential role in food security. Antioxidant capacity can be analysed
using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity
(TEAC), di(phenyl)-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)iminoazanium (DPPH) and oxygen radical
absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay as well as other assays. On the other hand, antioxidant
components can be analysed using total phenolic content (TPC), total carotene content
(TCC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and amongst others, depending on the underutilised
crops to be used.
The objectives of this research project are:
1. To study the antioxidant capacity of underutilised crops using ATPF
2. To study the antioxidant component of underutilised crops using ATPF
3. To correlate between the antioxidant capacity and the antioxidant components

24

Project code:

MEPR-280

Title:

Study on the emulsification techniques for bio-oil and diesel mixture to

improve stability

Supervisors:

Dr Suchithra Thangalazhy Gopakumar, Prof Sivakumar Manickam

Project description:
Fast-pyrolysis of biomass is one of the thermochemical methods, which is comparatively a
recent technology to produce liquid fuels from biomass. Bio-oil, a major product of fast
pyrolysis has many potential applications and helps to reduce the consumption of
conventional fossil fuels. However, these applications have not reached the final stage as it
has fewer negative attributes such as high oxygen content, high pH, low heating value, and
high moisture content. Therefore, bio-oil is unfavorable for combustion applications.
Emulsification is an upgrading process in which bio-oil is emulsified with diesel with the help
of surfactant. This study will be investigating different emulsification techniques of bio-oil
with diesel to improve the stability. Diesel and bio-oil will be emulsified and the properties
of bio-oil will be analyzed before and after emulsification. A success in stable bio-oil-diesel
mixture can reduce the current diesel consumption. Experimental work will be done for the
effect of different parameters that influence on the stability of resultant bio-oil diesel
mixture.

25

Project code:

MEPR-290

Title:

Synthesis and characterization of graphene-MoS2 based hybrid

nanolubricant

Supervisor:

Dr Mohammad Khalid Siddiqui

Project description:
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) based lubricants have been successful in the engine oil
market since its introduction recently. Graphene is expected to take over MoS 2 due to its
outstanding thermal and tribological properties. Recent research work on graphene based
nanolubricants has brought forth remarkable findings (Senatore, D'Agostino et al. 2013;
Rasheed, Khalid et al. 2015). Although the results are impressive, the poor stability of the
graphene based dispersions is a key concern (Johnson, Dobson et al. 2015) and holding
back from its commercialization. Graphene is hydrophobic in nature but not good enough to
be fully dispersed in non-polar solvents. It agglomerates over time and settles when
dispersed in mineral oil suspensions. Generally surfactants are added to enhance the
stability of the nanoparticle suspensions but the associated disadvantage of poor thermal
conductivity of surfactants make it an undesirable option (Mingzheng, Guodong et al.
2012). In case of lubricants, surfactants could make it difficult to meet industrial viscosity
standards. Chemical functionalization of graphene would help in modifying the functional
groups enabling the graphene to make bonds with basefluid molecules (Kuila, Bose et al.
2012). It would be very interesting if both MoS2 and graphene are dispersed together to
reap their combined benefits. This research is an attempt to synthesis and characterize
graphene-MoS2 based hybrid nanolubricant for automotive applications. Special emphasis is
expected to be given to obtain highest stability possible. Besides, properties of the
formulation including thermal conductivity, viscosity and antifriction behaviour will be
investigated.
Objectives:
a) To functionalize graphene-MoS2 for achieving super-hydrophobic hybrid mixture
b) To synthesis a highly stable graphene-MoS2 based hybrid nanolubricant.
c) To investigate the thermal conductivity and tribological properties of the hybrid
nanolubricant.

26

Project code:

MEPR-300

Title:

Synthesis of a sustainable sago value chain via an extended fuzzy multifootprint optimisation approach

Supervisors:

Prof Denny Ng

(External supervisor: Dr Wan Yoke Kin)

Project description:
Note: This project is computational in nature. Students who are interested in/willing to
learn mathematical modelling and optimisation approaches and represent physical
phenomena as mathematical model are encouraged to work in this project.
A sustainable sago value chain has been developed recently with considering of carbon
footprint, water footprint, workplace footprint and economic performance via Fuzzy MultiFootprint Optimisation (FMFO) approach. However, the developed sago value chain is
merely focused on sago main product, sago starch, and without considering sago biomass
in sago value chain. According to the recent research works, sago biomass is potentially to
be converted into various value-added products (e.g., combined heat and power,
bioethanol, biogas, etc.) that contribute environmental and economic benefits to the sago
industry. Therefore, this work is to expand sago value chain by adding in layers for biomass
conversions. In addition, FMFO approach is aimed to be extended for synthesis of a
sustainable sago value chain that considers sago biomass as potential raw materials for
generating value-added products that benefit to sago value chain.
The objectives of this project are:
1.

Extend Fuzzy Multi-Footprint Optimisation (FMFO) approach to synthesise a

sustainable sago value chain.

2.

Expand sago value chain by considering conversion of sago biomass into valueadded products.

3.

Determine a sustainable sago value chain with considering multiple footprints and
economic performance.

27

Project code:

MEPR-310

Title:

Systematic hierarchical approach for process synthesis and design of

integrated biorefinery

Supervisors:

Prof Denny Ng, Prof Dominic Foo

Project description:
Note: This project is computational in nature. Students who are interested in/willing to
learn mathematical modelling and optimisation approaches and represent physical
phenomena as mathematical model are encouraged to work in this project.
In order to convert biomass into various products such as energy, fuels, and chemicals, a
processing facility named biorefinery is needed (Kamm and Kamm 2004). The concept of
biorefinery is analogous to conventional refinery which uses petroleum as feedstock, and
thus presents similar opportunities for process synthesis, integration and operation. On the
other hand, in recent years, translational biorefinery research and development have
phenomenally become a near-global effort. For instance, various biomass processing
technologies are actively investigated and developed in both laboratory scale and pilot scale
(e.g., anaerobic digestion, fermentation, hydrolysis, gasification, etc). Besides, a concept
of integrated biorefinery is also proposed by Fernando, Adhikari et al. (2006). The
integrated biorefinery integrates several biomass processing technologies as a whole in
order to minimise the overall cost while increasing the flexibility in its products generation.
Therefore, an integrated biorefinery has higher potential compare with standalone
biorefinery in terms of improving its economic, environmental and social sustainability. In
this work, conceptual solution that extends the current process synthesis and design
approach for the application of integrated biorefinery is to be developed.
The objectives of this project are:
1.

Determine the limitations of previous process synthesis and design works for
chemical processes.

2.

Enhance the developed approach for application of integrated biorefinery.

3.

Solve a case study to demonstrate the proposed approach.

28

Project code:

MEPR-320

Title:

Thermodynamic properties of acetaminophen in ionic liquids and PEGs:

Experimental and molecular simulation

Supervisor:

Dr Ianatul Khoiroh

Project description:
The selection of solvent for pharmaceutical compound is an important criteria prior to
manufacturing process, since drugs synthesis generally are carried out in the solution. Our
aim in this proposed project is to investigate the phase behaviour of acetaminophen in ILs
and in PEGs. The proposed ILs is new class zwitterionic ionic liquids derived from biological
buffers (which students need to synthesis by themselves), and polyethylene glycol
monolaurate (PEGML). The effect of the solvents composition on solubility and solution
thermodynamics of acetaminophen will be investigated experimentally. Additionally, the
equilibrium solubility of acetaminophen in each solvent will be computed by using the
molecular dynamic simulations. Structural and free energy calculations will also be
performed to understand the observed behaviour.

29