Investigating geopolymer ceramic: Pioneering IMAT research in Oxford

Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) has become the first university to conduct research using Imaging and Materials Science and Engineering (IMAT) at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxford, owned by the Science and Technology Facilities Council under UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), to study the materials used in electric vehicles.

This is in line with Malaysia’s aspiration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with transportation being one of the six main sectors as stated in the Green Technology Master Plan 2017-2030.

Principal Investigator, Associate Professor Dr. Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh, said that IMAT research is used to focus on weak links in electronics used in electric vehicles. He added that the collaboration with Professor Dr. Mohd Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah, researcher from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering & Technology, UniMAP has resulted in the production of composite materials by incorporating geopolymer ceramic as reinforcements in soldering materials.