MTEC adheres to its missions in conformity with the National Science and Technology Development Agency’s 6th Strategic Plan (2017-2021) and the Thailand’s 20-Year National Strategic Plan. The objectives are to conduct the research and development that meet the needs of various sectors, solve the real-world problems, and help businesses develop their products and services. The works thus contribute significantly to socio-economic impacts.
MTEC’s operational pathways for R&D encompass the development of materials technology platform, in order to enhance the accumulation of knowledge and capability in response to the rapid changes in technologies. The pathways also include infrastructure development and other factors that are crucial to future development of the country, as well as generate cumulative knowledge based on various fields of science and technology in order to serve the needs of the country.
Operational mechanism
The operational guideline of MTEC involves a systematic mechanism to carry out research and development. MTEC established technology development plan and research S-curves which is a tool that assists in research management, resource allocation, and work planning both in research and support sections. The activities encompass building of research partnerships, technology transfer, dissemination, and awareness raising, thus creating the linkages on the development of materials technology platform in order to enhance the accumulation of knowledges and capability in response to the rapid changes in technologies, as well as serve the needs of the country. Delivery of output includes academic works, i.e., research articles, prototypes and intellectual property. An outcome is defined as the utilization of the outputs in various forms both in commercial and public sectors through the technology transfer, contract and collaborative researches, thus leading to impact and invest in both economy and society.
Domains of utilization
Mechanism of knowledge application and research utilization
MTEC realizes an importance of applying knowledge and research results in order to benefit industry, society and community, thus encouraging close relation in R&D collaboration with the government and private sectors by carrying out research and development. The cooperation can create agile and coherent works, thus leading to research utilization and meet the need of society. MTEC provides research and development services encompassing contract and collaborative researches, consultancy service, technology transfer with Technology Licensing Office (TLO), NSTDA, human resource development. The activities lead to efficient application of research, thus creating sustainable development of the country through science and technology.
The domains of utilization are categorized into 5 major groups as follows:
- Manufacturing and Engineering Services Industry
- Safety and Quality of Life
- Health and Wellness
- Agro-based Industry
- Agriculture
In addition, there is also another technology target group, which is energy.
In addition, there are 3 target technology development groups namely, Energy, Rail and Modern Transport and Technology and Informatics Institute for Sustainability.
Manufacturing and Engineering Services Industry
Enhancing the competitive capability in industry, infrastructure and public utilities through the engineering expertise in materials processing, especially metals and polymers. The activity includes research and development in manufacturing, engineering design, forming process, additive manufacturing, joining of dissimilar materials, structural analysis, computational fluid analysis and automation development.
1. Lightweight Engineering
Research, development and knowledge application in lightweight engineering for complex structure strength assessment, computational simulation, casting for metallurgy-microstructure control, and atomic modelling in order to obtain specific-property materials that meet the needs for application.
2. Processing of Engineering Plastics
Development of plastic part manufacturing with complex and diversified features for enhancing the manufacturing value in industry.
3. Compounding of Engineering Rubber
Formulation of compound with specific properties that are compatible with the products. The work applies rubber and tire-rubber technology, thus developing the products used in engineering process in industry and military.
4. Automated System for Manufacturing and Plant Maintenance
Development of automated system with advanced technology that meets the need of manufacturing and service sectors in the country. The works could help create competitive advantages, and strengthen the country’s security through technology development.
5. Additive Manufacturing
Knowledge generation in additive manufacturing technology for processing metal products and complex polymers that could do for beyond the capability of original processing. This work applies accumulated knowledge in materials and engineering to analyze and develop a processing mechanism with impacts on materials properties.
Research Highlights
- Research and development that meets the need of EGAT (Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, Mae Moh Power Plant).
- Development of solid tire with eco-friendly manner (Siampioneer Rubber Company Limited).
- Consultancy to solve manufacturing process through plastics and engineering technology (IRPC Public Company Limited).
Industrial-scale Prototypes
- Rubber formulations for tread with energy-saving and eco-friendly manners.
- The prototype of corrosion mapping for steel in Thailand.
- Computer software for engineering analysis.
- Statistical application software for controlling the production process of aluminum casting.
- Sintering process for Stainless Steel 304L with corrosion protection.
- The prototype of fan blade 16 inch with conformal cooling system using SLS (Blade 16) molding technique.
Safety and Quality of Life
Research and technology aims at improving the quality of life, reducing the risk associated with pollutants, creating healthy surrounding, and adding value to waste materials and by products from industrial and agricultural sectors. This scheme can promote the circular economy under the BCG economy model.
1. Identification of Emerging Pollutants & Solutions
- Development of wastewater treatment system in community by biological methods using plants and porous materials, as well as integrating planting with the waste treatment system. The system applies knowledge and technology in biological wastewater treatment.
- Development of monitoring system and separating process for hazardous pollutants, especially emerging pollutants. The work applies knowledge and technology about pollutant analyses and surface engineering for environment.
2. Sustainable and Innovative Utilization of Materials
- Research and development on novel products made from waste materials and by-products from industry. The purposes are to add value, to reduce the use of resources, as well as improve production process with environmental friendliness. The material technology is employed to determine porous materials properties to be consistent among various applications, i.e., waste utilization, porous materials technology, surface adjustment, and syntheses.
- Enhancing technological capability of microstructure design in order to predict the mechanical and thermal properties of porous ceramics.
Health and wellness
Research and development focusing on engineering design through the knowledge of materials science and engineering, including human-centric design, to generate innovative products for health and wellness. This domain focuses on 2 areas as follows:
1. Food
Research, development and technology application in food structuring design, food oral processing and food-gut health interaction. The purposes are to develop healthy and processed food products, and to increase food nutritional value for non-communicable diseases patients (NCD), elderly and healthy people, i.e., zero-fat processed foods, gluten-free foods, and easy-to-swallow foods.
Knowledge and technology application in extrusion and 3D printing to develop alternative foods that meet the need of today’s social trend, especially the healthy and eco-friendly consumers. Personalized diets encompass functional food ink, and meat alternatives made from protein.
Knowledge application in extraction and characterization to develop functional substances made from local resources, thus adding value to agricultural products, and using the agricultural waste materials. The work also reduces imports and creates a new industry in the country, i.e., Modified Pectin with antioxidant and prebiotic properties
2. Materials, equipment and system for rehabilitation
Research and development that uses the accumulated knowledge in design and processing, tissue culture, drug delivery system, 3D printing technology to develop the materials properties to be equal with the commercial grade, i.e., bone graft substitutes compatible with anatomic structures. The substitute materials can facilitate the user’s daily living with import substation. Noted examples are artificial bones used for infected bones, mimicking natural bone, and scaffold for 3d cell culture.
Knowledge application in materials science with advanced 3D printing technology to design and develop equipment or tools supporting recovery of elderly, patients, or disabled. These patients can learn how to use these medical devices properly i.e., back support and seat for SMA children.
Research and development through human-centric design concept to develop the system and equipment that facilitates the elderly people and patients. The purposes are to minimize severity of illness with better well-being, i.e., health-care system for elderly to facilitate their daily living.
Agro-based Industry
Research and development focusing on the enhancement of the country’s major agricultural raw materials to attain desired properties, thus raising the competitiveness and promoting the sustainability of the Thai agro-based industry. The works include rubber, biomaterials, as well as advanced packaging materials to prolong the shelf-life of fresh produce with an aim to be environmentally friendly. This domain emphasizes on 3 areas as follows:
1. Green Latex and Innovative Rubber Production
Research, development and knowledge application in latex with smart-green technology, continuous process for rubber masterbatch, and improvement of machines and processing. The purposes are to develop latex processing with smart-green technology, to generate innovative rubber with chemical and protein reduction causing allergic reaction, as well as raising the accumulated knowledge in biodegradation of rubber. Noted examples are concentrated latex with safety and environmental friendliness used in rubber processing, and the prototype of machine to process natural rubber-filter masterbatch. The works also include the natural rubber-filter masterbatch used in tire manufacturing, and knowledge in biodegradation of rubber by microorganisms.
2. Functional Packaging Technology
Research and development on film-forming and compounding technology for polymers design to form packaging films with special properties. The films can maintain the quality and prolong the shelf-life of agricultural products, i.e., the prototypes of PET and PP laminated films with easy-peeling, prost protection and visible feature, the prototype of packaging films with biodegrading ability for vegetables and fruits, the prototypes of packaging films with lower pungent odor properties for Durian, Herbs, and processed foods.
3. Bio-based Materials
Agriculture
Research and development on cost-effective materials with specific properties that foster plant growth. The work enhances the product quality and value of high-value crops. This domain focuses on 2 areas as follows:
1. Materials for Agriculture
- Research and development on nonwovens to improve nonwoven products by using know how of fiber, design and processing, modification of special properties. The nonwoven is designed for various application areas, as well as enhancing efficiency and crop value in Thailand, i.e., non-woven fabrics for melon, strawberry, tomato, hydroponic growing materials, and leaf vegetable. The works include fruit protection bags for mango and banana, and mulch materials with temperature and humidity controller during the vegetable and fruit transportation.
- Knowledge application in powder technology, porous materials, and polymer and ceramic composite to develop alternatives of growing materials and high porosity with specific properties that foster plant growth, as well as cost and workprocess reduction. Noted examples are inorganic growing materials for air plant, alternative materials of making mushroom spawn and processes of alternative usage
2. Specialty Films (greenhouse)
Energy
Research, development and technical activities contributing to energy security in multidimensional aspects, i.e., quality, costs, competitiveness and environmental friendliness. Noted examples are energy storage and advanced fuel technology. This domain emphasizes on 2 areas as follows:
1. Energy storage technology
Research and development on battery technology and supercapacitor. The work is designed to enhance competitive capability, to create business opportunity in industry and to stabilize energy in the country, and to prepare for security and small electric vehicle usage. Noted examples are the prototype of electrolyte lithium-ion battery with high capacity, battery packs for small electric vehicle, technical and policy guidance about energy storage application, and energy management in microgrids.
2. Advanced fuel technology
- Research, development and knowledge application on catalysts for hydrotreating and hydrogen production in order to stabilize the security of energy and minimize environmental impacts in conformity with Alternative Energy Development Plan. The work encompasses the development of fuel quality with international standard. Noted example is the development of catalysts for hydrotreating process for high-quality diesel production with Euro 5 standard.
- Research, development and knowledge application on improving the quality of biodiesel and biogas. The works is designed to improve the biodiesel quality for higher level of blending, and to reduce monoglyceride content in biodiesel. Noted examples are to reduce monoglyceride contents in B10/B20, and to modify Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in the EURO V engine.
Research Highlights
- Development of Electrolyte for Lithium-ion Batteries (Global Power Synergy Public Company Limited (GPSC))