Dr Thang and his co-workers

Thang said physics was not the major he initially chose in university. He wanted to study information technology.

“I won top prizes at a national competition for excellent students in physics and I was able to enter university without having to take the university entrance exam. I chose information technology,” he said.

“However, the letter from Professor Nguyen Van Hieu (a famous scientist, physician, and former president of the Vietnam Academy of Science & Technology) changed my mind,” he said.

At that time, Hieu, who wanted to set up an engineering physics faculty at the University of Technology, was looking for students with good physics knowledge. 

“Hieu said it would be a pity if I did not study physics,” Thang recalled.

Thang became one of the first seven students at the engineering physics faculty.

When preparing his graduation paper, Thang had an internship at the Institute of Materials Science under the guidance of Prof Phan Hong Khoi and Phan Ngoc Minh. 

They studied how to use carbon nanotubes on solid objects to increase durability and reduce abrasion.

After graduation, Thang became a postgraduate to continue unfinished studies. “The more I learn, the more I see that carbon nanotube is the way for me,” he said.

The 34-year-old PhD loves science and research. Research plans are usually built up for 5- or 10-year periods.

At present, he is researching carbon nanotubes and graphite, two kinds of materials of great interest to the world’s scientists thanks to their exceptional hardness or softness, good electrical field emissions and high coefficient of thermal conductivity.

Thang said scientists want to find materials with a high coefficient of thermal conductivity in order to increase heat transfer efficiency for electronic components or for use for machines requiring heat dissipation during operation.

Thang has tried to apply heat dissipation liquid to high-capacity electronic components, such as public lighting LED modules to replace lamps using old technology with LED lamps. This will help increase lighting, prolong the lamp life, and save money.

He is considering putting modules into the nano liquid heatsink system to turn public lamps into LED lamps.

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