Journal Articles

;

Mohamad Syahmie Mohamad Rasidi

;

Allan Edward Watson Rennie

;

Rozyanty Rahman

;

Armin Yousefi Kanani

;

Ahmad Azrem Azmi

Currently, a range of sectors are implementing three-dimensional (3D) printing, which is a part of additive manufacturing (AM) technology via the fused deposition modelling (FDM) approach. As of now, various filament materials are available in the market and have their limitations. Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) blend as a filament material in 3D printing should be implemented to overcome the weakness of available filaments. TPE blend stands out due to its flexibility, thermoplastic-like processability, and renewability. Based on the findings, TPE blend filament can be made with polylactic acid (PLA) thermoplastic and elastomers such as natural rubber (NR) and epoxidized natural rubber (ENR). The TPE printed components will be flexible; tough with excellent thermal and mechanical properties. In this paper, the characteristics of TPE are being reviewed to show the potential of TPE material as filament.

Publication

An investigation of the processability of natural fibre reinforced polymer composites on shallow and flat thin-walled parts by injection moulding process

( 2013)

Mohd Azaman Md Deros

;

S.M. Sapuan

;

S. Sulaiman

;

E.S. Zainudin

;

K. Abdan

Currently, many industries are trending towards producing products exhibit such properties as small thickness, lightweight, small dimensions, and environmental friendliness. In this project, flat or shallow thin-walled parts were designed to compare the advantages and disadvantages of lignocellulosic polymer composites (PP + 50 wt% wood) in terms of processability. This study focused on the filling, in-cavity residual stresses and warpage parameters associated with both types of thin-walled moulded parts. Thin-walled parts 0.7 mm in thickness were suitably moulded using lignocellulosic composite materials to determine the effects of filling. The analysis showed, the shallow thin-walled part is preferable in moulding lignocellulosic polymer composite material due to the low residual stress and warpage measured. The results also indicate that the shallow thin-walled part is structurally rigid, such that it can be used in applications involving small shell parts, and can be processed more economically using less material than the flat thin-walled part.

Publication

Analysis of accent-sensitive words in multi-resolution mel-frequency cepstral coefficients for classification of accents in Malaysian English

( 2013-06)

M.A. Yusnita

;

M.P. Paulraj

;

Sazali Yaacob

;

R. Yusuf

;

Shahriman Abu Bakar

This paper investigates the most accent-sensitive words for Malaysian English (MalE) speakers in multi-resolution 13 Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients. A text-independent accent system was implemented using different numbers of Mel-filters to determine the optimal settings for this database. Then, text-dependent accent systems were developed to rank the most accent-sensitive words for MalE speakers according to the classification rates. Prior work has also been conducted to test the significance of the wordlist for both gender and accent factors, and to investigate any interaction between these two factors. Experimental results show that male speakers have a higher intensity of accent effects compared with female speakers by 3.91% on text-independent and 3.47% on text-dependent tasks. Another finding has proven that by selecting appropriate words that carry severe accent markers could improve the task of speaker accent classification. An improvement of at most 8.45% and 8.91% was achieved on the male and female datasets, respectively, following vocabulary selection.

Publication

Antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content of fresh, oven-dried and stir-fried tamarind leaves

( 2017)

Lee Yit Leng

;

Mohd Nadzrin Mohammad Radzi

;

Abd Razak Shaari

;

Norawanis Abdul Razak

;

The aim of this study was to compare the antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content as well as the chemical groups of fresh, oven-dried and stir-fried tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) leaves. Methanol was used for extraction of fresh, oven-dried and stir-fried tamarind leaves. The stir-fried leaves were prepared using medium heat for 10 minutes prior to extraction and chemical analysis while dried leaves were obtained by oven drying at 60°C for 3 hours. The stir-fried leaves had significantly highest total phenolic content (TPC) (139.87 mg/g) and percentage DPPH radical-scavenging inhibition (69.92%) while the fresh leaves had the lowest TPC (39.31 mg/g) and antioxidant capacity (16.46%). The FTIR spectral data suggest that the heat treatment increased the amine groups as well as the antioxidant capacity of the tamarind leaves. To increase the antioxidant capacity, the tamarind leaves should be prepared in a stir-frying process.

1 10

Publication

Biomass fuel characteristics of Malaysian Khaya Senegalensis wood-derived energy pellets: effects of densification at varied processing temperatures

( 2024)

Ras Izzati Ismail

;

;

Alina Rahayu Mohamed

This study addresses the effects of densification at varied pelletization temperatures on the novel Malaysian Khaya senegalensis wood-derived pellets biomass fuel characteristics. The lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the biomass fuel characteristics of this species prompted the research. By addressing this knowledge gap, this study explores the impact of temperature variations on key fuel properties, contributing to the optimization of sustainable biomass fuel production in manufacturing and materials processing. Khaya senegalensis wood, grown and harvested in Malaysia, was pelletized at different temperatures to analyze the calorific value, volatile matter content, ash content, fixed carbon, bulk density, and moisture contents of the pellets. The experimental data revealed a significant relationship between temperature and these fuel properties. Pelletizing at 75 °C produced the highest calorific value of 19.47 MJ/kg and the maximum fixed carbon content of 10.04%. A low ash level of 4.26% was achieved via pelletizing at 75 °C. According to the results, 75 °C produced the best thermophysical properties. These findings provide valuable understanding of how pelletization temperature influences fuel pellet thermophysical properties, a critical aspect in optimizing fuel pellet production, storage, advancing renewable energy resource utilization, and, finally, promoting a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.

1 11

Publication

Characteristics of the surface topography and tribological properties of reinforced aluminum matrix composite

( 2022)

Magdalena Niemczewska-Wójcik

;

Manickaraj Pethuraj

;

Marimuthu Uthayakumar

;

Due to their excellent synergistic properties, Aluminum Matrix Composites (AMC) have achieved a high degree of prominence in different industries. In addition to strength, the wear resistance of materials is also an important criterion for numerous applications. The wear resistance depends on the surface topography as well as the working conditions of the interacting parts. Therefore, extensive experiments are being conducted to improve the suitability of engineering materials (including AMC) for different applications. This paper presents research on manufactured aluminum metal matrix composites reinforced with 10 wt.% of Al2SiO5 (aluminum sillimanite). The manufactured and prepared samples were subjected to surface topography measurements and to tribological studies both with and without lubricant using a block-on-ring tester. Based on the results, analyses of the surface topography (i.e., surface roughness parameters, Abbott–Firestone curve, and surface defects) as well as of the tribological characteristics (i.a. friction coefficient, linear wear, and wear intensity) were performed. Differences in the surface topography of the manufactured elements were shown. The surface topography had a significant impact on tribological characteristics of the sliding joints in the tests where lubrication was and was not used. Better tribological characteristics were obtained for the surfaces characterized by greater roughness (determined on the basis of both the profile and surface texture parameters). In the case of tribological tests with lubrication, the friction coefficient as well as the wear intensity was significantly lower compared to tribological tests without lubrication. However, lower values of the friction coefficient and wear intensity were still recorded for the surfaces that were characterized by greater roughness. The obtained results showed that it is important to analyze the surface topography because surface characteristics influence tribological properties.

8 7

Publication

Chip morphology and surface integrity in turning AZ31 magnesium alloy under dry machining and submerged convective cooling

( 2023)

Muhammad Syamil Zakaria

;

Mazli Mustapha

;

Azwan Iskandar bin Azmi

;

Magnesium alloys have broad applications, including medical implants and the aerospace sector owing to their great density and high strength-to-weight ratio. Dry cutting is a frequent technique for machining this material. However, it always leads to an excessive rise in temperature due to the absence of cooling at the cutting zone, which affects the machined surface integrity and chip morphology. In this study, chip morphology and surface integrity of the AZ31 magnesium alloy were investigated in the turning process using an internal cooling method called submerged convective cooling (SCC) to overcome the absence of cooling in dry cutting. This method can exploit the advantage of the high specific heat capacity of water as a cooling fluid without any reaction between water and magnesium to create a cooling element in the cutting zone. The chip morphologies and surface integrity were analyzed experimentally with varying cutting speeds under SCC and dry cutting. The experimental results revealed that SCC and dry cutting produced saw-tooth or serrated chip formation. The chips produced in dry cutting were continuous, while SCC was short and discontinuous as a result of a severe crack on the back surface of the chip. It was discovered that the grain refinement layer on the machined samples was thinner under SCC turning. SCC machining increased the microhardness of the AZ31 magnesium alloy by 60.5% from 55 HV to 88.3 HV, while dry turning exhibited a 49% increase in microhardness. The result revealed that surface roughness improved by 10.8%, 9.4% and 4.7% for cutting speeds (V) of 120, 180, and 240 m/min, respectively, under the SCC internal cooling. Based on the result obtained, SCC cutting outperformed dry cutting in terms of chip breakability, grain refinement, microhardness, and surface roughness.

Publication

Complex impedance and modulus analysis on porous and non-porous scaffold composites due to effect of Hydroxyapatite/starch proportion

( 2023)

Chong You Beh

;

;

Xiao Jian Tan

;

Nashrul Fazli Mohd Nasir

;

;

;

Khor Shing Fhan

;

Kim Yee Lee

;

Che Wan Sharifah Robiah Mohamad

This study aims to investigate the electric responses (complex modulus and complex impedance analysis) of hydroxyapatite/starch bone scaffold as a function of hydroxyapatite/starch proportion and the microstructural features. Hence, the non-porous and porous hydroxyapatite/starch composites were fabricated with various hydroxyapatite/starch proportions (70/30, 60/40, 50/50, 40/60, 30/70, 20/80, and 10/90 wt/wt%). Microstructural analysis of the porous hydroxyapatite/starch composites was carried out by using scanning electron microscopy. It shows that the formation of hierarchical porous microstructures with high porosity is more significant at a high starch proportion. The complex modulus and complex impedance analysis were conducted to investigate the electrical conduction mechanism of the hydroxyapatite/starch composites via dielectric spectroscopy within a frequency range from 5 MHz to 12 GHz. The electrical responses of the hydroxyapatite/starch composites are highly dependent on the frequency, material proportion, and microstructures. High starch proportion and highly porous hierarchical microstructures enhance the electrical responses of the hydroxyapatite/starch composite. The material proportion and microstructure features of the hydroxyapatite/starch composites can be indirectly reflected by the simulated electrical parameters of the equivalent electrical circuit models.

2 8

Publication

Conceptual design and simulation validation based finite element optimisation for tubercle leading edge composite wing of an unmanned aerial vehicle

( 2019)

Ernnie Illyani Basri

;

Faizal Mustapha

;

Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan

;

Adi Azriff Basri

;

Mohd Firdaus Abas

;

A finite element model is developed to determine deformation and stresses on a composite wing of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a tubercle design at the leading edge of the wing. Tubercles, commonly known as protuberances found on the leading edge of a whale pectoral flipper, offering great performance from an aerodynamic perspective. This paper deals with a first order shear deformation theory (FSDT) approach to discover the UAV laminates composite wing model of tubercle leading edge (TLE) with rib-reinforced so that the equivalent stiffness and material properties are obtained from the simulation of finite element analysis using ANSYS. Another structural configuration of design replicating the idea of monocoque concept, whereby foam is used at the leading and trailing edges of the wing. Styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) core foam is used representing high strength-to-weight ratio with its superiority in the mechanical properties of polymeric sandwich composites. The updated static structural analysis from rib-reinforced can be applied to update the wing stiffness distribution of monocoque-foam. The optimum design is concluded from the tabulated deformation and stresses of both wings, where monocoque-foam showed better performance with a reduction in 50.72% of deformation and 35.88% of stress, compared to rib-reinforced design.

1 9

Publication

Contribution of interfacial bonding towards geopolymers properties in geopolymers reinforced fibers: a review

( 2022)

Muhd Hafizuddin Yazid

;

Meor Ahmad Faris bin Meor Ahmad Tajudin

;

;

Marcin Nabiałek

;

;

Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh

;

Marwan Kheimi

;

Andrei Victor Sandu

;

Adam Rylski

;

Bartłomiej Jeż

There is a burgeoning interest in the development of geopolymers as sustainable construction materials and incombustible inorganic polymers. However, geopolymers show quasi-brittle behavior. To overcome this weakness, hundreds of researchers have focused on the development, characterization, and implementation of geopolymer-reinforced fibers for a wide range of applications for light geopolymers concrete. This paper discusses the rapidly developing geopolymer-reinforced fibers, focusing on material and geometrical properties, numerical simulation, and the effect of fibers on the geopolymers. In the section on the effect of fibers on the geopolymers, a comparison between single and hybrid fibers will show the compressive strength and toughness of each type of fiber. It is proposed that interfacial bonding between matrix and fibers is important to obtain better results, and interfacial bonding between matrix and fiber depends on the type of material surface contact area, such as being hydrophobic or hydrophilic, as well as the softness or roughness of the surface.

Publication

Control of flows around bluff bodies mediated by porous materials

( 2020-06-01)

Sadeghipour, Sakineh

;

Syamir Alihan Showkat Ali

;

Liu, Xiao

;

Azarpeyvand, Mahdi

;

Thorpe, Graham R.

There is evidence that the application of porous media to the surfaces of bluff bodies immersed in turbulent fluid flows has a profound effect on the associated aerodynamic phenomena. This idea is explored by performing a series of experiments on cylinders that have circular, square and rectangular cross sections. The flow fields were established around circular cylinders that had been encased in porous media, and which retained the same dimensions of the bare cylinder. The square and rectangular bluff bodies were modified so that their upstream and downstream halves consisted of solid and porous materials respectively. It is found that the porous media applied to the circular cylinder had the most effect on the wake, and the largest effect was observed in the wake generated by the most permeable material. The principal effect of the porous media was to cause the eyes of the recirculation region to be located further downstream. The effect of the permeability is increasingly diminished in the square and rectangular geometries. The presence of the porous media also had a significant effect on the Reynolds stresses. The effect of the porous media applied is to damp the normal stresses further downstream of the bluff bodies.

2 2

Publication

Crumb rubber geopolymer mortar at elevated temperature exposure

( 2022)

Ahmad Azrem Azmi

;

;

Che Mohd Ruzaidi Ghazali

;

Romisuhani Ahmad

;

Ramadhansyah Putra Jaya

;

;

Mohammad A. Almadani

;

Wysłocki, Jerzy J.

;

Agata Śliwa

;

Andre Victor Sandu

Low calcium fly ash is used as the main material in the mixture and the crumb rubber was used in replacing fine aggregates in geopolymer mortar. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) which were high alkaline solution were incorporated as the alkaline solution. The fly ash reacted with the alkaline solution forming alumino-silicate gel that binds the aggregate to produce a geopolymer mortar. The loading of crumb rubber in the fly ash based geopolymer mortar was set at 0%

Publication

Damage self-sensing and strain monitoring of glass-reinforced epoxy composite impregnated with graphene nanoplatelet and multiwalled carbon nanotubes

( 2022)

Mohammad Asraf Alif Ahmad

;

;

;

Mohamad Reda A. Refaai

;

;

Maslinda Abu Bakar @ Yahaya

The damage self-sensing and strain monitoring of glass-reinforced epoxy composites impregnated with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were investigated. Hand lay-up and vacuum bagging methods were used to fabricate the composite. Mechanical stirrer, high shear mixer, and ultrasonic probe were used to mix the nanofiller and epoxy. The loadings of the nanofiller used were 0.5, 1.5, 3, and 5 wt%. The specimens were tested using in situ electromechanical measurements under mechanical tests. The results show that the type and weight content of the nanofiller affect the electrical properties, damage self-sensing behaviour, and mechanical properties of the composites. The electrical conductivity of the GNP-glass and MWCNT-glass composites increased with nanofiller content. The tensile and flexural strengths of the composite improved with the addition of GNP and MWCNT nanofillers from 0.5 to 3 wt%. The 3 wt% nanofiller loading for GNP and MWCNT produces better mechanical–electrical performance. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed the dispersion of GNP and MWCNT nanofillers in the composites.

1 17

Publication

Dielectric and biodegradation properties of biodegradable nano-hydroxyapatite/starch bone scaffold

( 2022)

Beh Chong You

;

;

Nashrul Fazli Mohd Nasir

;

Emma Ziezie Mohd Tarmizi

;

Khor Shing Fhan

;

Eng Swee Kheng

;

;

This study is aim to investigate the dielectric properties (dielectric constant, ε′ and loss factor, ε′′) and the biodegradation properties of the nano-hydroxyapatite/starch bone scaffold with various starch proportion in simulated body fluid. The nano-hydroxyapatite/starch bone scaffolds with starch proportions 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 wt.% were fabricated. The ε′ and ε′′ of nano-hydroxyapatite/starch composite decrease when frequency increases. However, it increases when starch proportion and temperature increase. The biodegradation properties of the nano-hydroxyapatite/starch bone scaffold can be improved when the dielectric properties and porosity are enhanced. The enhancement of dielectric properties and porosity is due to the increment of starch proportion. The nano-hydroxyapatite/starch bone scaffold with the high starch proportion exhibits nano-hydroxyapatite/starch interfaces with strong intermolecular interactions that can stabilize biodegradation and biomineralization. The dielectric properties of the simulated body solutions are highly sensitive to the variation of the ion concentrations (calcium and phosphate). The nano-hydroxyapatite/starch bone scaffold with 80 wt.% starch proportion exhibits significant dielectric and biodegradation properties. It has potential to be a biodegradable inorganic/organic bone scaffold.

1 8

Publication

Dielectric properties of hydrothermally modified potato, corn, and rice starch

( 2022)

Chong You Beh

;

;

Nashrul Fazli Mohd Nasir

;

;

Khor Shing Fhan

;

;

Emma Ziezie Mohd Tarmizi

;

Kim Yee Lee

The effect of starch granule sizes, shapes, composition, and frequency on the dielectric properties (dielectric constant, loss factor, and conductivity) of native and hydrothermally modified starches (potato, corn, and rice starch) are investigated in this work. Dielectric properties are determined from 5 Hz to 5 GHz. The modified starches exhibit lower dielectric properties than the native starches from 5 Hz to 5 GHz due to the disruption of the native polysaccharide’s molecular arrangement. The modified potato starch shows the highest loss factor (208.12 at 50 Hz and 19.95 at 500 Hz) and stable conductivity (~5.33 × 10−7 S/m at 50 Hz and 500 Hz) due to the larger continuous network structure after hydrothermal modification. The rice starch shows the largest difference in dielectric constant (47.30%) and loss factor (71.42%) between the modified form and native form in the frequency range of 5 MHz–5 GHz. This is due to the restriction of dipole motions in the closely packed structure after hydrothermal modification. The findings indicate that the quality of starch modification can be characterized by dielectric properties for assisting starch-based plastic production’s design.

1 12

Publication

Diverse material based geopolymer towards heavy metals removal : a review

( 2023)

Pilomeena Arokiasamy

;

;

;

Monower Sadique

;

Liew Yun Ming

;

Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh

;

Mohd Remy Rozainy Mohd Arif Zainol

;

Che Mohd Ruzaidi Ghazali

Metakaolin is a commonly used aluminosilicate material for the synthesis of geopolymer based adsorbent. However, it presents characteristics that restrict its uses such as weak rheological properties brought on by the plate-like structure, processing challenges, high water demand and quick hydration reaction. Industrial waste, on the other hand, contains a variety of components and is a potential source of aluminosilicate material. Geopolymer adsorbent synthesized by utilizing industrial waste contains a wide range of elements that offer better ion-exchangeability and increase active sites on the surface of geopolymer. However, limited studies focused on the synthesized of geopolymer based adsorbent by utilizing industrial waste for heavy metal adsorption in wastewater treatment. Therefore, this paper reviews on the raw materials used in the synthesis of geopolymer for wastewater treatment. This would help in the development of low cost geopolymer based adsorbent that has a great potential for heavy metal adsorption, which could deliver double benefit in both waste management and wastewater treatment.

Publication

Dry sliding wear studies on Sillimanite and B4C Reinforced Aluminium hybrid composites fabricated by vacuum assisted Stir casting process

( 2022-12-27)

Manickaraj Pethuraj

;

Marimuthu Uthayakumar

;

Shanmugavel Rajesh

;

;

Sivaprakasam Rajakarunakaran

;

Magdalena Niemczewska-Wójcik

This paper presents the results of studies to understand the influence of hybridisation on mechanical and tribological behaviour as well as dry sliding wear of aluminium metal matrix composites. Sillimanite and boron carbide (B4C) were used as primary and secondary reinforcements and pure aluminium was used as the matrix material. The composite was fabricated by using a vacuum assisted stir casting process. Different research instruments were used, including a scanning electron microscope with EDX spectrometer, a surface measurement device, a thermal image analyser, as well as a tribotester. The results show that tensile, impact strength and hardness of the hybridised composites are superior (a step ahead) than unreinforced and primary composites. The wear behaviour of the fabricated specimens was tested for the dry sliding wear behaviour under the load range of 10–50 N with the steps of 20 N for the sliding velocities 0.75, 1.5 and 2.25 m/s over a distance of 1000 m. The wear rate increased with load and decreased as the wt.% of reinforcement increased. The wear rate of the composite with 10 wt.% Al2SiO5 was approximately 44% lower than that of the composite with 5 wt.% Al2SiO5. The same dependence was noted for hybrid composite (5 wt.% Al2SiO5 + 5 wt.% B4C)—the wear rate was approximately 50.8% lower than that of the composite with 5 wt.% Al2SiO5 under the same test condition. The friction coefficient decreased as the weight percentage of the reinforcement (Al2SiO5 and B4C) increased due to the uniform distribution of the reinforcement on the surface of the composites. The main wear mechanism of the studied materials was abrasion wear. The wear mechanism of the composite had tribochemical type. It involved the oxidation and transfer of the material, which formed protective tribolayers ensuring an additional sliding process. The mechanism that played the main role in the wear process of the composites was a combination of abrasive, adhesive and oxidative wear.

1 4

Publication

Effect of aluminium powder on kaolin-based geopolymer characteristic and removal of Cu²⁺

( 2021)

Nurliyana Ariffin

;

;

Przemysław Postawa

;

;

Mohd Remy Rozainy Mohd Arif Zainol

;

Ramadhansyah Putra Jaya

;

Agata Śliwa

;

Mohd Firdaus Omar

;

Jerzy J. Wysłocki

;

Katarzyna Błoch

;

Marcin Nabiałek

This current work focuses on the synthesis of geopolymer-based adsorbent which uses kaolin as a source material, mixed with alkali solution consisting of 10 M NaOH and Na2SiO3 as well as aluminium powder as a foaming agent. The experimental range for the aluminium powder was between 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2wt%. The structure, properties and characterization of the geopolymer were examined using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Adsorption capacity and porosity were analysed based on various percentages of aluminium powder added. The results indicate that the use of aluminium powder exhibited a better pore size distribution and higher porosity, suggesting a better heavy metal removal. The maximum adsorption capacity of Cu2+ approached approximately 98%. The findings indicate that 0.8% aluminium powder was the optimal aluminium powder content for geopolymer adsorbent. The removal efficiency was affected by pH, adsorbent dosage and contact time. The optimum removal capacity of Cu2+ was obtained at pH 6 with 1.5 g geopolymer adsorbent and 4 h contact time. Therefore, it can be concluded that the increase in porosity increases the adsorption of Cu2+.

2 13

Publication

Effect of exhaust gas flow rate in heat recovery steam generator duct using computational fluid dynamic approach

( 2024)

M. Vikhraman

;

Mohd Sharizal Abdul Aziz

;

;

Mohd Remy Rozainy Mohd Arif Zainol

Publication

Effect of Ni on the suppression of sn whisker formation in Sn-0.7Cu solder joint

( 2021)

Aimi Noorliyana Hashim

;

Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh

;

Andrei Victor Sandu

;

Muhammad Mahyiddin Ramli

;