A group of undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia, won first runner-up in the KPS Ekovative Challenge 2023. 

Team CMEACES - comprising Jocelyn Lim Jean Yi, Leiu Yu Xuan, Said Ismail Amer Aref Yaser, Wong Man Kei, and Yeow Teck Ann and mentored by Assoc. Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Parthiban Siwayanan - garnered the second spot in the national competition and secured a coveted trophy and RM 5,000 cash prize. 

The team presented their project ‘High-Performance Palm-Based Polyurethane Foam (PUF) for a Greener Future’ in the competition’s grand finale. The team successfully produced a PUF prototype with renewable palm-based dihydroxystearic acid (DHSA) and water as the sole blowing agent instead of ozone-damaging hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC). Analysis revealed that the developed PUF exhibited high mechanical strength and low density – indicating prospective applications in the packaging industry. 

Apart from the prototype, the team also presented the economic studies of the project, proving its feasibility for commercialization. 

Hosted by Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Bhd. (KPS) and in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), SIRIM Tech Ventures and Century Bond Berhad, KPS Ekovative Challenge aims to address challenges in sustainable paper or plastic production. This year, the competition attracted 265 students from 23 Malaysian universities to produce innovative prototypes. Their projects have been judged based on their impact, creativity, sustainability, feasibility and scalability, geographical scale of applications, presentation, and business acumen.