UTAR Chemical Engineering student claims second prize at IChemE Malaysia Food & Drink SIG One Minute Video Competition

UTAR congratulates Tan Hong Shen, a Year Four Chemical Engineering student from Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science, on winning the Second Prize at the IChemE Malaysia Food & Drink Special Interest Group (SIG) One Minute Video Competition. Supervised by LKC FES academic Assoc Prof Dr Steven Lim, Tan walked away with a cash prize of RM300 and a certificate.

His one-minute video elucidates the potential of Corncob, a cheap food waste, as a precursor to synthesise catalyst for biodiesel production. In the video, Tan revealed that corncob is an agricultural waste that is generated from the production of corn to other products. About 0.3 tonne of corncob is produced for every tonne of corn processed. Tan then proceeded to explain the uses of corncob; how corncob is used to synthesise a feasible catalyst; the advantages of using sulfonated corncob-based catalysts in biodiesel production, and the impact of sulfonated corncob-based catalysts in the video.

He said, “This research offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach, utilising renewable resources, reducing waste and potentially providing economic and social benefits. With that, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr Steven Lim for his guidance in this topic and encouragement to participate in this competition.”

The national-level competition, themed ‘Turning Food Waste into Wealth’ aimed to increase public awareness on food waste and propose ways or ideas to turn food waste into wealth.

Watch the full video here.