LANGKAWI, KEDAH, 21 March 2017 - Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Composite Technology Research Malaysia (CTRM) and Agensi Nuklear Malaysia (Nuklear Malaysia) together with Universiti Teknikal Melaka Malaysia (UTeM) on recycled Carbon Fibre (rCF) project.

The USM Vice-Chancellor, Profesor Datuk Dr. Asma Ismail said, the university is receptive of the future potential of the aerospace and oil and gas industries, as stated by the Minister of International Trade and Industry, Dato' Sri Mustapa Mohamed in his speech.

Said the Vice-Chancellor, the collaborative nature of the "Triple Helix" involving cooperation between public universities (UA), research institutions and the industry exemplifies an industry-driven project which could bring a major impact to the composites industry in the country.

The project on recycled Carbon Fibre (rCF) is in line with the agenda on sustainability subscribed by the university and it also fulfils the research focus of USM, which is on "Waste to Wealth".

According to a source from CTRM, the production of various aircraft components from carbon fibre composite materials would generate 310 tonnes of waste composites annually, all of which are currently disposed of in landfill sites.

USM, through its Science and Engineering Research Centre (SERC), has the task of developing the technology of "thermal pyrolysis" which would be utilised in converting the carbon fibre composite waste into high-quality rCF which could be used in various industries. This would indirectly result in income generation for the country through downstream activities.

The MoA ceremony was held in conjunction with the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA'17) Exhibition, held at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre in Langkawi.

The annual and prestigious aerospace and maritime exhibition, which begins today until 25 March 2017, also saw the participation from 36 countries for the first time.

Also present at the ceremony were the Director of SERC, Professor Dr. Zainal Arifin Mohd Ishak and researchers from the USM School of Aerospace Engineering.

Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin