In cooperation with Professor Shozo Yanagida of Osaka University Graduate School, the Nihon Spindle Manufacturing Co., a Japanese supplier of metal spinning and flow-forming equipment in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, has developed a device to break dioxins down into harmless substances with microwave radiation. This device was put on sale in December 2003. Aside from ash that remains inside the incinerator, burning domestic waste generates fly ash, amounting to about 20 percent of all ash produced. Fly ash contains highly concentrated dioxins, and the newly developed unit decomposes these dioxins using microwave radiation.

Microwave radiation is highly energy efficient because it directly heats only the targeted substance. With this high efficiency level, electricity consumption by the new device is 10 to 50 percent of that of conventional dioxin reduction equipment.

Conventional systems cannot eliminate dioxins but leave behind small amounts of dioxin residue. However, the microwave heating system enables almost complete decomposition with the addition of microwave heat-sensitive catalysts, such as activated carbon and iron oxide, which accelerate the chemical reactions.

The device requires less space and lower installation costs. Nihon Spindle believes that this system can meet a variety of demands, from large-scale waste disposal facilities to small-scale ones on remote islands.




Posted: 2004/03/04 09:14:07 AM
Japanese version

TAG Chemicals , Manufacturing industry , Material reduction , Technology , University/Research institute