Unlocking the modern alchemy

03 Jan 2014

From left: Li Ying and Vivian at the Singapore Science Centre. 

Alchemy is often described as creating gold out of common metal. In a modern twist, three SP students did exactly that, clinching the Gold Medal at the Amazing Science-X Challenge 2013 by putting on an exhibit that showcased innovative applications for a metal alloy that could bounce back to shape with just a little heat.

The multi-disciplinary team was made up of Vivian Wee from the Diploma in Material Science (DMLS), Liu Li Ying from the Diploma in Applied Chemistry with Pharmaceutical Science (DACP) and Hisham Tarek Bary from the Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (DME).

The combination of ideas resulted in an exhibit on nitinol wire, a metal alloy with shape-memory properties that could recover to its original, undeformed shape upon reheating. Taking it a step further, the team designed the exhibit to show how the material could be incorporated into metal bodies such as cars to minimise damages and repairs. The visually-stimulating and innovative exhibit was more than enough to warrant them the top prize, and even have their exhibit displayed for two weeks at the Singapore Science Centre.

Even so, the three-month work on the exhibit was far from easy, as each member was participating in it on top of their own schoolwork and individual commitments. Hisham quips, “It was an absolute roller coaster. Sudden complications could derail everything and we had to make many revisions to the initial design. We were often lost in terms of how to move forward, but combining our different expertise and guidance from our lecturers definitely made it all come together.”

Vivian and Li Ying with their lecturer, Dr Charles Chia

Creating an exhibit to bring science to life

This article is taken from SP buzz.