Self Introduction

My strength is my communication skills. Besides Japanese, I can also speak English, Malay, and Tamil fluently. I can write and read them as well. I would like to make the best of my language skills in making Japanese companies better known in other countries, especially Malaysia. I’d like to work as a bridge between Japan and Malaysia in the future.

Research Topic

Due to problems such as the drying up of oil resources and global warming, expectations are high on alternatives for plastic, which is made from oil. One such alternative is bioplastic. Regrettably, the use of polylactic acid, the material for making bioplastic, is restricted by its high production cost. Our lab uses cassava ---a root vegetable grown natively in South East Asia--- to produce polylactic acid, in research that aims to bring down the cost of polylactic acid. The process can be broadly divided into three stages: fermentation, separation & refinement, and polymer synthesis. My research is on the separation & refinement.

The purpose of my research is to find the optimal condition to collect more polylactic acid from fermented cassava juice. In order to isolate the lactic acid from the fermented juice, we use esterization and hydrolysis. Firstly, through esterization extraneous butanol are converted into butyl lactate. Distillation is then used to isolate the butyl lactate from the secondary products. Hydrolysis of the butyl lactate subsequently gives us lactic acid and butanol. Distillation then allows us to remove the butanol to obtain the lactic acid. A shortcoming of this process is that the collection rate of lactic acid is low, necessitating optimization. This is why we need to look for the optimal condition for the process. To do so we need to consider the ratio of butanol and the amount of reactants to use in esterization, as well as the amount of water and ion exchange resin to use in hydrolysis.

Thoughts on having joined the program

I am really happy about having taken part in this program. I have had opportunities to study not only information technology but also business Japanese language and business manners through this program. I was able to learn many things, all the way from the Japanese language that are helpful when looking for a job, to the business manners that are useful after I start working.

Advice to others who are considering joining this program

You can learn many things from taking part in this program. You can broaden your horizon because you can study what is not in your field as well. Since you will be assisted in your search for a job, this program is most suitable for a person who would like to work in Japan in the future.