Centre of Lipids Engineering and Applied Research (CLEAR)

CLEAR was previously established in 1987 as LASER (Lipid Applied Centre and Engineering Research) to undertake researches in the Engineering and technology of palm oil and oleo-chemical processing. In 1995, CLEAR has signed an MOU with Guthrie Berhad to conduct a research on palm oil processing engineering and design. Then in 2009, CLEAR was appointed as a Centre of Excellence under Research Alliance of Biotechnology. Currently, CLEAR is operating efficiently with 13 active academic staff with 6 research fellows, total equipment (pilot plant, analysis and chemical process) worth RM 3 million and total research grant of about RM 5millions throughout 2008-2012. Our research activities are actively operating in two branches of laboratory which is in UTM Johor Bahru and UTM International Campus, Kuala Lumpur. CLEAR also has been appointed as Associate Kohzas by Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), UTM.

CLEAR is shaped by the perceived needs of industry and it is confident in achieving its objective as evident by the current presence of a number of its members having both the relevant necessary experience and expertise in their specialized areas. The research areas and expertise offered by CLEAR include the optimization of palm oil industry and also the application of basic principle and fundamental theories of chemical engineering in chemical industry such as application of supercritical fluid extraction, crystallisation process, membrane technology, solid-liquid and liquid-liquid extraction. We are also involved in drying process research including combined with microwave, bioprocess, adsorbent development and application of nanomaterials and method development of chromatogram analysis.