MINERAL RESEARCH CENTRE Sustainable Mineral Development
through R&D
Mineral Research Centre Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah
31400 Ipoh, Perak Malaysia
2014
The Mineral Research Centre (PPM) is committed to sustainable development as well as the optimum utilisation of local mineral resources. As the research wing of the Minerals and Geoscience Department, we undertake mineral R&D activities that are necessary to produce new technologies and innovations, value-add mineral materials, discover new uses, provide for safer operation and mitigate adverse environmental impact as well as improve the competitiveness of the local mineral resources. We have made significant achievements and we shall continue to improve along the way. We look forward to establishing as well as continuing co-operation and co-ordination with other organisations both in public and private sectors engaged in mineral research activities and human capital development. Thank you. “Sustainable Mineral Development through R&D”
Shahar Effendi Bin Abdullah Azizi SMJ, KMN
Director of Mineral Research Centre (PPM), Minerals and Geoscience Department Malaysia
Our history Mineral Research Centre (PPM) was formerly known as the Mines Research Institute
under the Mines Department Malaysia, Ministry of Primary Industries.
The history of the Mineral Research Centre started way back in 1951 as a small research
division of the then Mines Department Malaysia located in Kuala Lumpur. The establishment
of the research division was to revive the production of the tin industry which had
experienced a regression during the World War II. In view of the many tin mining activities
centred in Perak, the research division was then shifted to Ipoh, Perak in 1957. It was officially
opened by the first Prime Minister YTM Tunku Abdul Rahman on 4th May 1957. Mr J.H. Harris
became the first Director of the division. In 1973, the status of the division was elevated to
Mines Research Institute.
Since its inception, many investigation works had been carried out in the field of land
evaluation for mining, geotechnical engineering and mineral processing. When the tin industry
collapsed in the mid-1980’s, the research works in the Institute gradually changed its focus
towards value adding research of the non-tin minerals such as ilminite, monazite, zircon,
copper, gold, xenotime iron, wolframite, bauxite and industrial minerals like kaolin, marble,
gravels, silica sand and clay.
On 1st July 1999, the Mines Department Malaysia and the Geological Survey Department
Malaysia merged to become the Minerals and Geoscience Department Malaysia. Under the
new Department, the Mines Research Institute changed its name to the Mineral Research
Centre and currently remains as the main government research institute in minerals in the
country. In 2004, a restructuring exercise involving the merger of several ministries and
government departments was carried out to improve the efficiency of the government
machinery. In this exercise the Minerals and Geoscience Department was placed under the
new ministry namely Ministry of Natural Resources and Environments (NRE) which is
responsible for the development of the mineral sector.
Our Values Vision
To become a centre of
excellence in mineral R&D in the region
Mission
To contribute towards enhancing competitiveness and sustainable development of the mineral sector through R&D
Objectives
To encourage and diversify use of local mineral resources so as to contribute towards the development of the
country’s industrial sector through R&D
To encourage the development of mineral resources in a
sustainable manner through
R&D
To carry out R&D on local minerals in order to produce feed and value added materials for industrial use
Our functions
To develop suitable mineral processing and recycling technologies
To carry out collaborative research with Institutes of Higher Learning, other R&D agencies and industries in the field of minerals
To commercialise significant R&D result through technology transfer to any interested parties
To undertake R&D in mineral extraction and its environmental impact as well as support to the Department and providing services to the industries
To assume the role as an advisor and reference centre in areas related to research in local minerals
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ROCK BASED TECHNOLOGY BRANCH
Objectives:
• To value add rock materials through research in order to produce high quality, cheap and globally competitive materials thereby contributing towards their optimal uses
• To become a centre of excellence for rock-based technical services and technologies
Field of Expertise:
• Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) • Paper Filler with PCC • Dimension Stone
Current Projects:
• R&D in production and application of controlled structured PCC from low grade starting material
• The use of controlled structured PCC as fillers in paper sheet production and in polymer products.
Previous Projects:
• Study on recycle of rock wool industrial waste • Synthesis of precipitated calcium carbonate • Dimension stones testing
• To carry out research activities in respect of silica sand processing which is used for various silica based products;
• To develop a suitable technology for producing products from recycled silica based material; and
• To become a centre of excellence for silica-based technical services and technologies
Field of Expertise: • Silica sand processing • Pellet making for Crystal Glass • Crystal glass products and sintered glass ceramic making • Glass melting and annealing process; • Characterizations of crystal glass products; • Design of gas furnace for crystal glass
Current Projects: • Development of glass ceramic tiles using recycled soda lime glass,
optical glass and glass wool. • Utilization of value-added glass in concrete.
Previous Projects: • Development of crystal glass pellets by pelletization technology; • Development of free lead crystal glass formulation using local silica
sand. • Development of borosilicate glass using local processed silica sand. • Research on recycling of waste optical glass for making crystal glass
SILICA BASED TECHNOLOGY BRANCH
Objectives:
CLAY BASED TECHNOLOGY BRANCH
• To develop Clay-based products suitable for commercial applications from local clays and other ceramic raw materials
• To become a centre of excellence for clay research and clay-based technical services and technologies especially in products formulation, fabrication and production
Field of Expertise: • Clay and ceramic raw materials technology • Ceramic based materials processing • Ceramic balls • Flameproof whitewares
Current Projects: • Development of ceramic balls for commercial application in the oil
and gas industries • Development of thermal shock resistance whitewares
Previous Projects: • R&D on local clay : Production of commercial quality whitewares
products from selected clay resources available in Malaysia
Objectives:
ADVANCED MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY BRANCH
• To undertake R&D activities related to the process (purification and synthesis) of mineral materials, particularly local minerals, that they can be used as starting materials for advanced materials technology,
Field of Expertise: • Advanced Ceramic • Glass Ceramic • Biomaterials
Current Projects: • Development of biomaterials using local minerals for biomedical and
dentistry applications.
Previous Projects: • Fabrication of thin-film wollastonite • Synthesis of synthetic diopside using local limestone and silica sand • Re-utilizing of tin slag and waste glass for producing tiles
Objectives:
MINERAL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY BRANCH
• To undertake research activities as well as initiate technology transfer in various aspects of mineral processing so that the available mineral resources in the country can be utilised optimally with minimal negative impact
Field of Expertise:
• Mineral Processing Technology • Computer Simulation in Mineral Processing
Current Projects:
• Processing of complex tin ores • Treatment of cyanide waste water using titanium doping on silica
catalyst • Simulation technique in physico-chemical process for a complex tin
ore
Previous Projects:
• Feldspar flotation • A study on processed local sericite product for water treatment • Simulation technique on fine particles separation • Mineral beneficiation
Objectives:
MINING & QUARRYING TECHNOLOGY BRANCH
Objectives:
• To carry out R&D on mining and quarrying technology towards efficient, safe and sustainable manner in order to minimize impacts to the environment
Field of Expertise: • Mining and Quarrying • Environmental Management Related to Mining and Quarrying • Occupational Safety • Recycling of Waste Materials from Mines and Quarries
Current Projects: • Classification of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) and development of treatment
technology • AMD treatment of the ex-Mamut copper mine, Sabah • Application of synthetic zeolites for AMD treatment • Development of prediction model for traffic sound hazard and risk zoning
at quarry site
Previous Projects: • Preliminary study and surface elemental mapping at Penjom gold mine • Experimental field –scale constructed anaerobic wetland system for AMD
treatment at Ex-Mamut copper mine • Synthesis of synthetic zeolites from waste materials and local mineral • Detail study of blasting parameters to Improve blasting productivity • Development of Quarry Particulate Pollution Index (QPPI)
MINE AND QUARRY REHABILITATION TECHNOLOGY BRANCH
Objectives: • To conduct research on reclamation and rehabilitation of mining land
and quarries to minimise negative impact on the environment
Field of Expertise: • Analysis of geospatial databases in ArcGIS format • Greening of quarry
Current Projects: • Geospatial information research of land-use in ex-mining land in
Malaysia • Development of land-use and idle land database of ex-mining land in
Malaysia • Develop of greening technology for abandoned and active quarry
faces
Previous Projects: • Geospatial information research of ex-mining land in Perak • Land-use and idle land database of ex-mining land in Perak • A study on greening techniques of quarry land
COMMERCIALIZATION BRANCH
Objectives:
• To provide support to the research and development (R&D) activities through:
i. Commercializing and patenting of R&D products ii. Transferring of technology to government agencies, industries,
universities and public iii. Enhancement and maintenance of Information technology &
communication facilities iv. Providing appropriate training of all employees v. Printing and safe keeping of all reports of researches, studies and
other relevant documents
ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE BRANCH
Objectives:
• To provide administrative and finance support to the research and development (R&D) activities through:
i. Smooth, orderly and systematic administration and finance ii. Providing logistics and maintaining suitable, safe and conducive
working place iii. Ensuring adequate supply and stock of laboratory consumables
and apparatus
X-ray Diffraction Spectrometer
Rapid analytical technique primarily used for phase identification of a crystalline material and can provide information on unit cell dimensions
Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission
Spectrometry
Rapid and sensitive way of measuring the elemental concentrations of solutions, up to 71 elements can be determined within detection limits of 1 part per billion
Microstructure image analysis up to 800,000X magnification including semi-quantitative dimensional analysis using EDX system
Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy
Zeta Potential Analyser
Colloidal stability measurement which reflects the inter-particle repulsion strength of small particles dispersed in a liquid
Fourier Transform Infra Red Spectroscopy Identification of organic and inorganic materials which measures the absorption of infrared to determine the molecular components and structures.
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer
Spectroanalytical procedure for the quantitative determination of chemical elements to determine the concentration of a particular element
Qualitative and quantitative analysis for the determination of the chemical composition of many types of materials in solid state
(MS ISO 9001:2008 certified)
• Water Absorption, ASTM C97
• Specific Gravity, ASTM C97
• Compressive Strength, ASTM C170
• Modulus of Rupture, ASTM C99
• Flexural Strength, ASTM C880
• Impact Test, Italian Std
• Shore Hardness Test, ASTM E488
• Coefficient of Thermal Expansion, ASTM C531
• Abrasion Resistance, ASTM C241
Mineral Processing Evaluation Services
o Physical Processing
o Physico-Chemical Processing
Mineral Processing Consultancy
o Characterisation Analysis
o Processing Method
o Processing Design
Director
Pengarah,JUSA C
Shahar Effendi bin Abdullah Azizi
Email : [email protected] BSc(Hons) Mining Engineering (Leeds, UK);
DESS Econ. Evaluation of Mining Projects (Paris School of Mines)
Deputy Director
Timbalan Pengarah, Q54 (M) Ir. Khor Peng Seong
Email : [email protected]
BSc(Hons) Physics (UM);
MSc Mining Engineering (Leeds, UK)
Senior Research Officer
Pegawai Penyelidik Kanan,Q54 (M)
Md Muzayin bin Alimon Email : [email protected]
BSc(Hons) Chemistry (UKM);
MSc Mineral Processing (Pennsylvania State (PennState), USA)
Nasharuddin bin Isa
Email: [email protected]
BAppSc(Hons) Mineral Technology (USM);
MSc Mineral Engineering (Exeter (MCSM), UK)
Mahadi bin Abu Hassan Email:[email protected]
BSc(Hons) Geology (UKM)
Kori bin Mohammad
Email: [email protected]
BSc(Hons) Geology (UKM);
MSc Engineering Geology (Leeds, UK)
Aminudin bin Mahmud Email : [email protected]
BSc(Hons) Geology (UKM);
MSc Engineering Geology (Leeds, UK)
Senior Research Officer
Pegawai Penyelidik Kanan,Q52
Abdul Rois bin Abdul Mois
Email : [email protected]
BAppSc(Hons) Mineral Technology (USM);
MSc Ceramic Engineering (Sheffield, UK)
Ramli bin Mohd Osman
Email : [email protected]
BSc(Hons) Applied Geology (UM);
MSc Environment Science & Engineering (Colorado (CSM),USA)
Mohamad Haniza bin Mahmud
Email : [email protected]
BEng(Hons) Mineral Resources Engineering (USM);
Adv.Dip Environmental Engineering (Manchester, UK) ;
MSc Materials Engineering (USM)
Dr. Shamsul Kamal bin Sulaiman
Email : [email protected]
BSc(Hons) Mining Engineering (Alabama, USA);
MSc Mineral Resources Engineering (USM);
PhD Mineral Engineering (Leeds, UK)
Dr. Nazwin binti Ahmad
Email : [email protected]
B.Eng(Hons) Mining (Nova Scotia, Canada);
PhD Mineral Engineering (Leeds, UK)
Senior Research Officer
Pegawai Penyelidik Kanan,Q52 (M)
Dr. Ismail bin Ibrahim
Email : [email protected]
B.Eng(Hons) Mineral Resources Engineering (USM);
MSc Mineral Resources Engineering (USM);
PhD Mineral Resources Engineering (USM)
Dr. Izhar Abadi bin Ibrahim Rais
Email : [email protected]
BEng(Hons) Mineral Resources Engineering (USM);
MSc Mineral Resources Engineering (USM);
PhD Mineral Resources Engineering (USM)
Rashita binti Abdul Rashid
Email : [email protected]
Dip Chemical Engineering (UTM);
B.Eng(Hons) Chemical Engineering (UTM);
MSc Mineral Resources Engineering (USM)
Senior Research Officer
Pegawai Penyelidik Kanan,Q48
Malek bin Selamat
Email : [email protected]
B.Eng(Hons) Mineral Resources Engineering (USM);
Mphil Ceramic Engineering (Leeds, UK)
Salmah binti Baharuddin
Email : [email protected]
BSc(Hons) Computer Science (USM);
MSc Image Processing (USM)
Abdullah bin Hussin
Email : [email protected] BSc Land Survey (ITM)
List of Professional Officers
List of Professional Officers
Research Officer
Pegawai Penyelidik,Q44
Marlinda binti Daud
Email: [email protected] B.Eng(Hons) Materials Engineering (USM)
Siti Mazatul Azwa binti Saiyed Mohd Nurddin
Email : [email protected]
Dip Science (ITM); BAppSc(Hons) Industrial Chemistry (USM);
MSc Advanced Materials Engineering (UPM)
Dr. Rohaya binti Othman
Email : [email protected]
Dip Textile Technology (ITM);
BSc(Hons) Textile Technology (UiTM)
PhD Materials Engineering (UKM)
Research Officer
Pegawai Penyelidik,Q44 (M)
Hamdan bin Yahya
Email : [email protected] BSc(Hons) Material Science (UKM)
Mohd Syahrir bin Mohd Rozi
Email : [email protected] B.Eng(Hons) Chemical Engineering (UTM)
Mohd Idham bin Mustaffar
Email : [email protected]
B.Eng(Hons) Chemical Engineering (UTM);
MEng Bioprocess Engineering (UTM)
Research Officer
Pegawai Penyelidik,Q41
Norinsafrina binti Mustaffa Kamal
Email : [email protected] B.Eng (Hons) Environmental Engineering (Melbourne, Australia)
Anuar bin Othman Email : [email protected]
BSc(Hons) Industrial Chemistry (UTM)
Roshaida binti Arbain
Email : [email protected]
B.Eng(Hons) Mineral Resources Engineering (USM);
MSc Mineral Resources Engineering (USM)
Aspaniza binti Ahmad
Email: [email protected]
B.Eng(Hons) Materials Engineering (USM);
MSc Materials Engineering (USM)
Fatihah binti Azmi
Email : [email protected]
B.Eng(Hons) Civil Engineering (UMP);
MSc Environmental Engineering (USM)
Hamizah binti Abdul Samad
Email : [email protected]
B.Eng(Hons) Materials Engineering (USM);
MSc Materials Engineering (USM)
Mineral Research Centre Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah
31400 Ipoh, Perak TEL 05 547 7052 FAX 05 547 7185
EMAIL [email protected]
Our location:
Mineral Research Centre