Malaysia’s membrane master

In use: Ahmad Fauzi with a test purification ensemble scaled down 10 times its actual size. The fibres work within steel chambers set with pressure gauges.

In 1991, when Professor Dr Ahmad Fauzi Ismail was working as an engineer for a petroleum company, one of the major problems faced by the industry was the presence of carbon dioxide in oil pipelines.

Mixed with air, it turned acidic and became corrosive. The phenomena, also caused plaque build-up, in the pipes running from the offshore rigs of Terengganu to receiving plants in Kerteh, affected productivity and yield. To clean this, companies had to send robots into the pipes to clear the problem, a troublesome and expensive procedure.