UTAR is proud to announce that Ir Dr Kuan Seng How, academic from the Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES), has won the Best Presentation Award at the 13th Asia Conference on Mechanical and Materials Engineering (ACMME 2025).
Dr Kuan (right) receiving his certificate
The conference took place from 18 to 21 June 2025 at the Morito Memorial Hall, Kagurazaka Campus of Tokyo University of Science, Japan. Organised by the Tokyo University of Science, the conference welcomed over 150 participants from around the world and featured nine onsite sessions and one online session.
The presenters at the conference
Dr Kuan’s award-winning presentation, titled Morphological, Structural and Chemical Analysis of Bioleached Kaolin by Bacillus Species, showcased a study focused on improving the purity of kaolin, an industrial mineral commonly used in manufacturing.
His research explored bioleaching as a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to conventional methods, which are often energy-intensive and ineffective in removing ultra-fine iron impurities. The presence of iron, particularly in the form of oxides or oxyhydroxides, contributes to a reddish or brownish tint that lowers kaolin’s commercial value. By using the 1,10-phenanthroline colorimetric method, Dr Kuan observed increasing trends in iron reduction until the sixth day of bioleaching, followed by a gradual decrease over the remaining days of the ten-day experiment. SEM imaging revealed visible damage to the edges of kaolin particles due to bacterial activity, while FTIR analysis showed no change in hydroxyl bands and XRD results confirmed no formation of secondary minerals after the treatment.
Best Presentation Award certificate
Reflecting on the achievement, Dr Kuan shared, “I was honoured to receive the Best Presentation Award, a recognition that motivates me to keep contributing to meaningful discussions in our community. This event was truly rewarding, from the high-quality keynote speeches to the rich networking opportunities.” He also had the opportunity to chair a poster session, where he was inspired by the diversity and quality of global research presented. He extended his gratitude to the organisers, keynote speakers, fellow researchers, and attendees who contributed to the rewarding experience.
He also acknowledged the invaluable contributions of his co-authors, including UTAR academics Prof Dr Chong Kok Keong and Assoc Prof Dr Steven Lim, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) academic Dr Sylvia Chieng, and UTAR PhD candidate Monisha Rajamohan, whose collective expertise and dedication made this work possible.
Dr Kuan highlighted that the conference allowed him to achieve key objectives, including sharing outcomes from their UTAR Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) funded project, receiving valuable feedback, and networking with fellow academics. He further noted how the presentations, which covered topics such as light-actuated artificial muscles, microfluidic fluorescent nanodiamonds, and open-atmosphere laser nitriding, broadened his understanding of emerging technologies in the field.
Dr Kuan’s accomplishment once again reflects UTAR’s commitment to excellence in academic research and its continuous efforts in promoting global scholarly engagement.
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