GEORGE TOWN: Penang-born Prof Cheah Kok Wai has added another feather to his cap by winning the grand prize at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva, Switzerland.
This time, it was his latest invention – a scratch-resistant sapphire-coated thin film on metal surface – that won him the accolade.
In 2016, the 69-year-old from the Hong Kong Baptist University also won the same award at the same event for producing ultra-hard, anti-scratch covers for glass-based devices.
Crediting his latest success to serendipity, Prof Cheah, who is now based in Hong Kong, said he is working with a few luxury watch brands and sports watches to put his invention to good use.
“Stainless steel watch straps can be easily scratched.
“But if you put a sapphire film on metal it can be scratch-resistant.
“But we have to make sure it does not change the colour of the watch.
“It is challenging and interesting, as we are applying physics under well-defined consumer requirements.
“We have to meet the buyers’ requirement, ” said the holder of the Dr Elizabeth KS Law Endowed Chair of Advanced Materials in Hong Kong Baptist University.Prof Cheah hopes the coating can extend the life of a product.
“We can do this in a more green-tech way and not produce toxic by-products.
“Sapphire can be recycled as it is ecologically friendly. I have always been keen to understand the fundamentals of science and apply it in an environmentally friendly way.
“Take plastic as an example. If we can’t get rid of them, then we must use it carefully.
“I hope the coating will make a difference in the long run. I try to set an example for students that science and technology can help society, ” he said.
Prof Cheah said about eight years ago, an international company said it was going to use sapphire as the glass cover for its mobile phones.
“It intrigued me as it is the second hardest material, which makes it difficult to cut and polish.
“That proposed idea did not materialise and I wondered if there was another way.
“We were working on sapphires for separate research then and tried to make a hard sapphire film out of curiosity.
“We realised we could and that it was not patented yet. We felt we could make the film harder and that it would be commercially viable.
“We are fortunate that the (Hong Kong) government, which encourages entrepreneurship, decided to fund us for the project.
“We are hopeful that it will be in the market next year as we are in the advanced stages of production, ” he said.
Growing up near Chowrasta market and then Thean Teik Estate in Penang, Prof Cheah moved to England to further his studies in 1970.
After achieving his PhD, he spent 10 years in British industry, including eight years at Astrium Space, working on various satellite projects including meteorological satellites and the International Space Station.
In the 1990s, he decided it was time to move closer to home and relocated to Hong Kong.
“After some years in the industry, I wanted to teach and moved to Hong Kong to pursue that career.
“It is closer to Penang which I still visit every year.
“The last time I came down here, it was Chinese New Year last year.
“I came back to eat laksa, char kuey teow, satay and my favourite durian. I consider Penang my second home and have noticed that we Malaysians tend to look out for each other.
“Even in Hong Kong, there are two young assistant professors who are from Malaysia. It is nice to see them go far and do great work here, ” he said.
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