Scientists in Malaysia are reprocessing industrial byproducts into advanced raw materials, leveraging Chinese expertise and funding to support the country's green economy.
Malaysia's prized crops of durian and palm oil create vast amounts of waste biomass, providing cheap and abundant raw materials for researchers seeking sustainable alternatives for various industries.
At the Malaysian campus of China's Xiamen University in Kuala Lumpur, one project aims to use the discarded husks of durian fruit to create a substance stronger than steel, with potential applications in aerospace, automotive, and robotics.
The team begins by grinding the durian husks into a fine powder, processing it through several steps to produce an ultra-light nanocellulose material that is not only eco-friendly but also significantly stronger than many conventional materials.
"This nano material, it is not only sustainable, but it's so much stronger compared to a lot of conventional material in the market. So because of this very unique properties, we can use it in aircraft industry, car industry and maybe robot. It's so much lighter, even compared to aluminum composite. How much lighter is it? Half of it," said Dr. Tan Khang Wei, an associate professor at Xiamen University Malaysia.
The project is funded by Chinese capital through a company that plans to market the end product.
"They see that maybe they can do something which is greener and more sustainable using Malaysia biomass resources," Tan said.
Meanwhile, another research team is collaborating with experts from Xiamen University's main campus in China to turn byproducts from palm oil biodiesel production into high-value compounds.
"One of the major by-product from biodiesel production is the crude glycerol. We use it to undergo microbial fermentation to convert into a much higher value-added compound, which is 1,3-propanediol. And then 1,3-propanediol is the precursor that can be used to produce a polyester resin," said Dr. Tan Jian Ping, an assistant professor at Xiamen University Malaysia.
These resins can then be used to create products such as fabrics and carpets.
"If we are going through the bio-based approach, it's definitely a much greener approach as compared to the chemical," said the assistant professor.
These initiatives are part of the broader Malaysia-China comprehensive strategic partnership, which aims to strengthen people-to-people, academic, and scientific cooperation between the two countries. At the Malaysian campus, researchers are advancing these goals with Chinese expertise and investment while contributing to Malaysia's push for a more sustainable economy.
Malaysia, China collaborating to reuse waste biomass
