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[July 2003]
Toshiba Group Announces Breakthrough in CO2 Absorbing Ceramics
Toshiba Corporation and Toshiba Ceramics Co Ltd, a leading producer of ceramic materials, have announced a major step forward in environmental protection, a lithium-silicate based ceramic material with exceptional CO2 absorption characteristics.
The new material can reportedly absorb 400 times its own volume of CO2 at an unmatched rate of absorption and can do so at room temperature. The two companies have also confirmed that the new ceramic is capable of over 500 cycles of absorption and discharge without any falling-away in absorbing ability. Commercial samples are now available from Toshiba Ceramics.
Until this most recent announcement, lithium-silicate CO2-absorbing ceramics were available only in a cylindrical form, which slowed absorption at room temperature - though showing substantial advances in speed of absorption at between 450°C and 700°C. Cylindrical lithium silicate also showed a conspicuous decrease in absorbing quality after repeated use, as absorbed CO2 gradually built up inside the cylinder.
Toshiba and Toshiba Ceramics have now developed breakthrough processes for forming spherical lithium-silicate offering improved performance, and for achieving a granular form that absorbs CO2 at room temperature and at a 10 times faster rate of absorption. The improved spherical version releases all CO2 during discharge and is said to be ideal for repeated use in high temperature applications.
The smaller granular form achieves all the target properties desired by Toshiba and Toshiba Ceramics: room temperature absorption at a rate surpassing other ceramic materials; and no retention of CO2 to impair performance over repeated absorption-discharge cycles.
www.toshiba.co.jp
ENDS