Scientists in Malaysia are tapping Chinese expertise and capital in collaborations that aim to boost that country’s green economy and turn waste products into valuable industrial products.
At the Malaysian campus of China’s Xiamen University one project is looking to use the discarded husks of durian fruit to create a substance stronger than steel.
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At the Malaysian campus of China’s Xiamen University one project is looking to use the discarded husks of durian fruit to create a substance stronger than steel.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Malaysia's prized crops of durian and palm oil create vast amounts of waste or biomass,
00:10which are providing cheap and abundant raw materials for researchers
00:15at the Malaysian campus of China's Xiamen University.
00:19This team start by grinding up the discarded husks of durian fruit into a fine powder,
00:25passing it through several steps of processing to create an ultra-light but strong nanocellulose material.
00:33This nanomaterial, it is not only sustainable, but it's so much stronger compared to a lot of conventional material in the market.
00:41So because of these very unique properties, we can use it in aircraft industry, car industry and maybe robot.
00:48It's so much lighter even compared to aluminum composite. How much lighter is it? Half of it.
00:54The project is funded with Chinese capital by a company that will also look to market the end product.
01:01They see that maybe they can do something which is more greener and sustainable using Malaysian biomass resources.
01:08So as a result, they engage me.
01:11Another research team is tapping the expertise of professors at the main campus in China
01:17to transform waste produced when palm oil is converted into biodiesel.
01:23One of the major by-products from biodiesel production is the cruglycerol.
01:28And then we use it to undergo microbial fermentation to convert into a much higher value added compound,
01:36which is 1,3-propanediol.
01:38And then 1,3-propanediol is the precursor that can be used to produce polyester resin.
01:44That in turn can be used to make products like fabrics or carpets.
01:49If we are going through the bio-based approach, it's definitely a much greener approach as compared to the chemical.
01:57Malaysia and China have a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement
02:02that aims to increase and deepen people-to-people academic and scientific cooperation.
02:08And at Xiamen University's Malaysia campus, they're helping advance those goals,
02:15as well as boosting Malaysia's moves to create a more green economy.
02:20Ryan Meltzer, CGTN, Kuala Lumpur.
02:25Ryan Meltzer, CGTN of TK,