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Today, we use fossil fuel as energy. The consumption of fossil fuel today produces about 20 billion tons of CO2 annually worldwide, which has been causing global warming. The consumption of fossil fuel also emits large amounts of NOx into the atmosphere, which is the cause for acid rain. It is very important to solve the problems by developing a new technology. In the Ecoceramics Laboratory, for reducing CO2 emission, we are developing a new system; 1) concentration and separation of CO2 in the emitted gases from power plants, 2) and subsequent utilization of CO2 by convertion into syngas for chemicals. Also we are now making progress in developing a new ceramics material to reduce emission of NOx in the catalytic combustion. To reduce the emission of environmental hormones, we are developing a new lime for trapping acid gases.
Most of the catalytic reactions carried out at chemical companies are below 800°C, however, recent chemical industries have desired new processes which need more than 800 °C. It is difficult to use a conventional catalyst at high temperature because of the significant suppression of the surface area of support and also the sintering of metal. We are developing a new material durable at high temperatures, e.g., for the catalytic combustion system carried out at 1300 °C. The new material can maintain a large surface area even at 1300 °C.
The consumption of lime in Japan was ca. 10 million tons in 1990, which was the highest since World War II. Recent technological innovations in steel not only the consumption of lime but also the prices. In manufacturing have caused a drop in severe circumstances, further utilization of lime for new materials is desired by lime companies. We are now studying the applications of lime requested by many users.
It is important to remove acid gas of HCl emitted from incinerators, because HCl is one of the reactants for environment hormones such as the carcinogenic substance dioxin. We are developing a new material, hydrosodalite, to remove HCl from waste gas by corroborating with companies. The study group for fixing acid gas using ceramics materials was organized by our laboratory this year is and now in progress for developing a new technology for solving the problem.
See home page of Manufacturing Technology Laboratory.
See home page of Ultrafine Particle Laboratory.
See home page of Raw Materials Laboratory.
| Raw Materials Lab. | Manufacturing Tech. Lab. | Bioceramics Lab. | Ecoceramics Lab. |