Details of Photocatalytic Environmental Purification Technology - March 2004
The Kyushu Center of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) is developing environmental purification technology using photocatalytic technology based on titanium dioxide. Photocatalytic technology uses light energy to decompose pollutants in the air and water, and ceramic materials with micro hollow glass spheres or sponge structures are used to achieve this. These materials greatly streamline the purification process of liquids and gases and are particularly effective in treating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in industrial wastewater and air.
Photocatalytic technology is being attempted to be introduced in industrial areas in Fukuoka Prefecture and at an industrial waste treatment plant in Kitakyushu City. Titanium dioxide reacts with light to exert strong oxidizing power to decompose toxic substances, thereby helping to improve industrial wastewater and air pollution. In particular, the Kitakyushu plant emits more than 2,000 tons of VOCs annually, and the use of photocatalytic technology has made it possible to reduce this by more than 90%.
This technology has also succeeded in increasing treatment efficiency at water purification plants by using glass spheres coated with titanium dioxide as a filtering material for liquid purification. Furthermore, because of their wide surface area, sponge-structured ceramic materials have also been applied as filters for air purifiers and ventilation systems, contributing to the purification of indoor environments.
AIST is also conducting joint research with CEA, a French research institute, with a view to exporting the technology to the European market. With the expansion of this technology, it is expected to be applied not only in Japan but also in the international environmental purification market, especially in the fields of industrial waste treatment and air pollution control, where further results are expected.
No comments:
Post a Comment