Vol.1 No.2
For Members Only
Xapp Malaysia-MNS
Executive Committee
Chairman
Assoc. Prof. Dr Muhd Ambar Yarmo (UKM)
ambar@pkrisc.cc.ukm.my
Deputy Chairman
Assoc. Prof. Dr Zainal Arrifin (USM)
zainal@eng.usm.my
Secretary
Dr Meor Yusoff Meor Sulaiman (MINT)
meor@mint.gov.my
Work Secretary
Nadira Kamarudin (MINT)
nadira@mint.gov.my
Treasurer
Dr Badrol Ahmad (TNBR)
badrol@tnrd.com.my
Committee Members
1. Dr Surani Buniran (SIRIM)
abuniran@hotmail.com
2. Dr Abdul Aziz Muhammad (MINT)
aziz_mohd@mint.gov.my
3. Assoc. Prof Dr Ahmad Fauzi Muhd Nor (USM)
afauzi@eng.usm.my
4. Assoc. Prof Dr Fauziah Aziz (UMS)
afauziah@ums.edu.my
5. Ms Faridah Idris (MINT)
faridah_idris@mint.gov.my
6. Assoc. Prof. Dr Esah Hamzah (UTM)
esah@fkm.utm.my
7. Assoc. Prof. Dr Rosiyah Yahya (UM)
rosiyah@kimia.um.edu.my
8. Assoc. Prof. Dr Abdul Hamid Yahya
(UM)
hamya@kimia.um.edu.my
Dec 2003
Editorial
We meet again in our second newsletter. I would
like to express my gratitude to all of XAPP
members for their contribution for our second
newsletter. We had our AGM on August and new
committee members are appointed. There are a lot
of activities done and reported here and a lot more
planned for next year that I trust will meet your
interest.
We welcome all contributions (news article, article
of general interest, discussion of issues, news brief,
etc.). Please feel free to mail it to the Editor at
nadira@mint.gov.my or send the articles to:
Ms Nadira Kamarudin,
Malaysian Institute for Nuclear Technology
Research (MINT),
Bangi,
43000 Kajang,
Selangor, Malaysia.
Contents
The Editor
Calendar of Events…………………………….….pg.2
Who’s Who in Malaysian X-ray Analysis Fraternity
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hj. Zainal Arifin bin Hj. Ahmad
…..……...……………………..………….……....pg.2
Activity News
AGM XAPP MALAYSIA, MNS 2003 ………….…pg2
SEMINAR AND WORKSHOP ON THE
INTRODUCTION TO XRD AND XRF ANALYSIS
(SWIX 2003) AND LAUNCHING OF XAPP-MNS
SABAH/SARAWAK BRANCH AT KOTA KINABALU,
SABAH. ………………………………………….....pg.3
SAMPLE PREPARATION AND SAMPLING
TECHNIQUE SEMINAR……………..………….pg.4
Interesting Links ………………………………pg.4
XAPP.com, Newsletter of XAPP Malaysia-MNS - 1
Calendar of Events
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Seminar / Workshop
XAPP Family Day
January 2004
Workshop on Using XRD for Residual Stress
March 2004
Workshop on XPS
June 2004
Introduction to XRF & XRD
August 2004
ICXRI 2004
13-14 Sept. 2004
Pre-Conference workshop (XRF: Technique and
Application)
Qualitative and Quantitative XRD
Dec 2004
Co-ordinator
Nadira Kamarudin
Assoc. Prof. Dr Esah Hamzah
Assoc. Prof. Dr Muhd Ambar Yarmo
Assoc. Prof. Dr Fauziah Abdul Aziz
Dr. Surani Buniran
Dr. Meor Yusoff Meor Sulaiman
Assoc. Prof. Dr Zainal Ariffin
Who’s Who in Malaysian X-ray Analysis Fraternity
Name
: Associate Professor Dr. Hj. Zainal
Arifin bin Hj. Ahmad
Occupation
: Lecturer & Chairman for
Materials Engineering Programme
Institution
: Universiti Sains Malaysia
Qualifications : BAppSc (Hons – USM), MSc
(UMIST), PhD(Sheffield)
Research fields: Ceramics & Engineering
Materials
Years of service: 20 years
Age
: 45 years Married with 5 children
Hometown
: Teluk Intan, Perak.
X-ray Analytical Equipments: XRD, XRF and EDAX
Hobby
: Gardening
Tel
: 04-5937788 Ext. 6128
Fax
: 04-5941011
E-mail
: zainal@eng.usm.my
Activity News
AGM XAPP MALAYSIA, MNS 2003.
An AGM was held on 13 August 2003 at Zirconium
Room, MINT. The meeting was held from 10.55am to
12.40pm after the Stresstech Group presentation.
The Secretary of XAPP, Dr Meor Yusoff Meor
Sulaiman from MINT, gave the activity report of
XAPP Malaysia dated 30 Jun 2003. While the
financial report dated 31 June 2003 was reported by
XAPP Treasurer, Dr Badrol Ahmad from TNBR.
The election of new committee members was done at
the end of the meeting. The members have appointed
those listed below as new committee members for
2003-2004
XAPP.com, Newsletter of XAPP Malaysia-MNS - 2
President:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ambar Yarmo (UKM)
Vice President:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zainal Ariffin Ahmad
(USM)
Secretary:
Dr. Meor Yusoff Meor Sulaiman
Committee:
Dr. Surani Buniran (AMREC)
Dr. Abdul Aziz Mohamed (MINT)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esah Hamzah (UTM)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fauziah Haji Abdul Aziz (UMS)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Fauzi Mohd Nor (USM)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdul Hamid Yahya (UM)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rosiyah Yahya (UM)
Cik Faridah Idris (MINT)
Cik Nadira Kamarudin (MINT)
Treasurer:
Dr. Badrol Ahmad (TNBR)
SEMINAR AND WORKSHOP ON THE INTRODUCTION TO
XRD AND XRF ANALYSIS (SWIX 2003) AND LAUNCHING OF
XAPP-MNS SABAH/SARAWAK BRANCH AT KOTA
KINABALU, SABAH.
Malaysia supported by the Malaysian Nuclear Society
– X-ray Application Malaysia (MNS-XAPP Malaysia).
Participants in SWIX 2003 are 50 people from various
research institutes and universities.
YB Dato’ Seri Law Heing Ding assisted by the
Deputies Vice-Chancellors, Universiti Malaysia
Sabah.
SWIX 2003 was officiated by YB Dato’ Seri Law
Hieng Ding, Minister of Science,
Technology and Environment, Malaysia on 27 May
2003 with the presence of about 250 of participants
representing various industries and organizations
including government agencies, private sectors and
non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The
Deputies Vice-Chancellors, Universiti Malaysia
Sabah, assisted the YB Minister. The presence of the
YB Minister certainly has made SWIX 2003 a very
meaningful event and shows the strong commitment of
the Government in encouraging the advancement of
Science and Technology in Malaysia.
The SWIX 2003 was organized by the School of
Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sabah,
There have been nine important topics on recent
developments and advanced techniques discussed. The
talks discussed here were on par as hot topics
mentioned internationally. In between the talks there
has been hands-on on the XRD and XRF also carried
out by the speakers assisted by engineers, technicians,
and academicians.
The workshop was held in the Radioactive Laboratory,
School of Science and Technology, UMS.
The YB Minister has congratulated the Universiti
Malaysia Sabah for the excellent work being put up by
XAPP.com, Newsletter of XAPP Malaysia-MNS - 3
the University for this inaugural and important
gathering. He hoped by focusing on the strength of
XRD and XRF used as an analytical tool, Malaysia can
achieved further advancement of applications and
development of new and better materials and products.
Not to mention, tremendous development and
innovative technologies are applicable to industries
ranging from lubrication industry to pharmaceutical
products. Consequently, XRD and XRF are very
important in the study of materials science,
microstructure works and nano technologies.
There have been appreciation on the success of SWIX
2003 poured in from members of the Malaysia
Institute for Nuclear Technology Research (MINT),
Malaysian Nuclear Society (MNS); members from the
higher institution of Malaysia; Physics Department,
Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
Prepared by
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fauziah Haji Abdul Aziz
Chairman SWIX 2003
SAMPLE PREPARATION AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
SEMINAR
XAPP with the cooperation of RETSCH, and MINT
have held a half-day seminar on sample preparation
and sampling technique. The half-day seminar was
held at Zirconium Room, MINT. Mr. Martin Fuller
from RETSCH GmbH, Germany was invited as the
speaker and demonstrator of this seminar.
The participant of this seminar are 30 people from
various research institutes, mainly from Universiti
Teknologi Malaysia Skudai (UTM), Universiti Sains
Malaysia (USM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
(UKM), SIRIM Bhd. and MINT.
The Seminar generally discussed on solid sample
preparation before analysis, different sampling
technique and its accuracy, sieving techniques, particle
size analysis and a little on the effect of sampling on
XRF.
The seminar ended by demonstration of RETSCH
Sampling Equipment at Mineral and Processing Lab.
The RETSCH Sampling Equipments demonstrated are
Jaw Crusher BB 100, Laboratory Sample Divider PT
100 and Mixer Mill MM 200.
Some of the seminar participant with the president of
XAPP and Mr. Fuller.
Prepared by
Nadira Kamarudin
XAPP Work Secretary
Interesting Links
www.copernick.com/en/index.html
Copernic Agent Basic (Free Download)
Copernic Agent Basic is the state of the art web search tool. Combines many search enhancement features and
intuitive user interface, making your web searches faster and easier than ever.
www.csrri.itt.edu/periodic-table.html
This website contains X-ray properties of most of the elements. Calculations are based on data compiled by W.H. Mc
Master et. al. compilation of x-ray cross section, National Bureau of Standards and fluorescence yield data by M.O.
Krause J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data. 8, 307 (1979).,
XAPP.com, Newsletter of XAPP Malaysia-MNS - 4