ISLAMABAD, Dec 26: The relevance of “vacuum technology” to the industrial needs of a developing country like Pakistan cannot be overemphasized.

This observation was made by the secretary general of the Pakistan Vacuum Society, Javed Ahsan Bhatti, in his presentation on “Vacuum Technology and its Applications” at a workshop on “Industrial Vacuum”.

The workshop was arranged jointly by the Pakistan Vacuum Society and the Dr A.Q. Khan Research Laboratories here on Wednesday.

Mr Bhatti said the production of instruments used to create, maintain and apply vacuums was included within the scope of vacuum technology. The principles of this technology are derived from thermodynamics and the kinetic theory of gases, he told the audience. Commenting on the utility of vacuum technology, he said it was used to achieve pressure differences to separate atmospheric constituents, remove occluded or dissolved gases from different mediums, reduce energy losses, avoid collisions and produce clean surfaces.

The most common example of the creation of a partial vacuum is human breathing, he said and added, suction with a drinking straw, filling of ink in a fountain pen and flow of wind from a region of high pressure to a region of low pressure were some other examples, from which the vacuum technology derived its principles. The technology has applications in the fields of metallurgy, electronics, medical instruments, drugs’ manufacturing, optics, aircraft industry, electron-beam welding and accelerators.

Pakistan Vacuum Society vice-president M. K. Aijazi in his speech said the emerging technologies used vacuums to solve problems as a matter of routine.

The technology will continue to play a vital role in the production of new materials to fulfil requirements of the modern age.

Kahuta Research Laboratories chairman Dr Javed Arshad Mirza in his keynote address said Pakistan must create a dependable pool of local expertise in vacuum technology as well as the necessary facilities to translate knowledge into practical applications to ensure its survival in the highly competitive world of 21st century.