MTEC

Founded in 1986, the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC) is operating as one of the four technology centers under National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).

MTEC supports and carries out research, development, and engineering (RD&E) in metal and materials to support industries, together with the development of technological infrastructure and human resources for RD&E by working with the international organization network such as the World Materials Research Institute Forum (WMRIF) and International Energy Agency (IEA).

MTEC drives RD&E in materials technology through nine research units and two platform technology programs.

1. Computer-aided Technology Research Unit
2. Design and Engineering Research Unit
3. Ceramics Technology Research Unit
4. Polymer Research Unit
5. Biomedical Engineering Research Unit
6. Materials for Energy Research Unit
7. Materials Reliability Research Unit
8. Environmental Research Unit
9. Analytical and Testing Research Unit

1. Design and Simulation for Materials and Manufacturing
2. Materials Design and Production

Bioenergy Laboratory: Biodiesel Testkits.
Thailand’s biodiesel specification announced by the Department of Energy Business, Ministry of Energy includes specifications for community and industrial scale production. Both specifications identify testing and analytical methods, which require expensive analytical instruments and experienced technicians to perform the tests. Unfortunately, fully equipped biodiesel testing facilities are not available to all producers, especially community-level ones, due to the fact that the facilities are only located in major cities.

MTEC through Bioenergy Group has developed biodiesel test kits for community level biodiesel quality control. The biodiesel test kits are developed to measure fundamental properties such as density, viscosity, acid value, and iodine value. The biodiesel test kits are handy, easy to use and relatively inexpensive, which makes it a practical tool for probing preliminary biodiesel properties. All biodiesel test kits have been filed for patents and currently tested in the field. Feedbacks and comments from users have been collected and assessed in order to improve the test kits quality and design to accommodate users’ demand. Technology transfer and production of the biodiesel test kits will help upgrading and strengthening biodiesel production capability in Thailand. For further information, please contact nuwongc@mtec.or.th.

Biomedical Engineering Research Unit.
The focal point of our research at the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC) is to develop effective, customized implants and medical devices using one of our core technologies—medical rapid prototyping (MRP). Here at MTEC, the applications of medical image-based RP models and customized implants have been introduced for over 10 years in the fields of neurosurgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthopaedic surgery, etc. The use of these medical models and implants not only enhances the quality of surgery in terms of accuracy and precision, but also operation duration and minimization of operational risk.

The fabricated RP implants and devices have dimensions that perfectly fit the patients’ anatomy. We are currently branching out the applications of MRP technology into a tissue engineering field, developing well-defined 3-D porous scaffolds for culturing of stem cells and other cells, e.g., osteoblasts and chondrocytes for bone and cartilage engineering applications. We are now pursuing international collaborations in research on biomedical engineering, especially, but not limited to, MRP and tissue engineering areas. For further information, please send inquiries to wanidaj@mtec.or.th or kriskrs@mtec.or.th.

114 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Rd | Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand | T: +66 (0) 2564 6500
F: +66 (0) 2564 6501 to 5 | www.mtec.or.th