Monash University Malaysia’s Colloids and Polymers Group Clinches Double Awards at National Nuclear Innovation Competition 2024

The group secured two prestigious accolades, the Gold Medal for the best entry in the Environment and Natural Resources category, and the Special Award for Competitive Innovation across all categories.

The National Nuclear Innovation Award is an esteemed recognition program that highlights outstanding innovation and research and development efforts within Malaysia that advance nuclear science and technology applications. The double award won by the Colloids and Polymers group is a testament to their dedication and innovative approach in this critical field.

While traditional lead shielding is effective because of its high atomic number and density, it carries health risks, disposal challenges, and is heavy for prolonged use in medical environments. The award-winning research, conducted by a cross-institutional collaborative team, has led to the development of novel lead-free, flexible, and lightweight rubber composites that serve as sustainable radiation shielding materials. These innovative materials have promising applications in medical radiology personal protective equipment (PPE) and have the potential to revolutionise the future of radiation-proof, sustainable elastomeric materials in various technologically significant areas such as healthcare, heavy industries, aerospace and nuclear medicine.

“This remarkable success was made possible through the invaluable partnership and support from our collaborators at Sunway University, UniKL MICET, and Nuklear Agensi Malaysia,” stated Dr Tang, who is a senior lecturer at the Department of Chemical Engineering. “It is an incredible achievement for our cross-disciplinary supervision and collaboration, and we hope it serves as an inspiration to other students and researchers at the university and beyond.” His collaborative team is dedicated to pushing the frontiers of nuclear science research, with the goal of propelling innovation in the country’s rubber industry.

Dr Tang also extended special recognition to his outstanding research team members, including Final Year Project (FYP) student Alphonsus Tan for his excellent contributions, and supervisory team members Professor Goh Bey Hing of Sunway University, Dr Fahmi Asyadi Md Yusof and Associate Professor Ong Siew Kooi of UniKL MICET, Dr Janarthanan Supramaniam, Norshafarina Ismail, and PhD students Darren Low and How Sher Wei.

The double awards highlight the importance of cross-disciplinary research and the potential of collaborative efforts in driving advancements in nuclear science and technology. The Colloids and Polymers group’s innovative work has garnered national attention, setting a benchmark for future research in nuclear science and technology.

This recognition not only highlights Monash University Malaysia’s commitment to advancing research excellence but also highlights the collaborative efforts between academic institutions and research organisations to drive positive impact in the field of nuclear science and technology.Hashtag: #MonashUniversity

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Monash University Malaysia

Monash University Malaysia, established in 1998, is the third-largest campus of Australia's largest university and the first foreign university campus in Malaysia. We are a premier research-intensive Australian university ranked among the top 50 universities globally by the QS World University Rankings 2024 and a member of Australia's prestigious Group of Eight (Go8). Monash University is also ranked 54 in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings. A self-accrediting university, we offer a distinctly international and culturally rich environment with approximately 9,300 students from 79 countries. Monash University Malaysia, including the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, is wholly owned and operated by Monash University since 2020.