Rec yc ling fo r No n- ferro us M eta ls a nd R a re M eta ls

Fw-401

Endowed Research Unit for
Non-ferrous Metals Resource Recovery Engineering(JX Metals Endowed Unit)[ Towards Highly Sustainable Society ]Institute of Industrial Science, Endowed Chairs
No n- ferro us M eta ls Res o urc e Recover y Eng ineering
htt p: / / w w w.m eta ls - rec yc ling .iis .u- to k yo .a c .j p/I n d u s t r y – U n i v e r s i t y C o l l a b o ra t i o n C e n te rfo r D e v e l o p i n g N e w M e t a l Re c yc l i n g P r o c e s s e sSponsor: JX Metals Corporation[Period] 1st period:

Recycling valuable materials is crucial for sustainable societal
development, with the depletion of high-quality natural resources
and the rise of resource nationalism globally. In Japan, advancing
the recycling of both rare and base metals has become a vital issue.
This research unit focuses on developing innovative, environmentally
harmonious recycling technologies for non-ferrous and rare metals
using advanced smelting and refining techniques. It also collaborates
with industry partners to nurture young researchers and engineers inthis field.

2nd period:
3rd period:

January 2012 to December 2016 (5 years)
January 2017 to December 2021 (5 years)
January 2022 to December 2026 (5 years)

In the second period, this unit advanced and strengthened the activities
undertaken in the first period and spread awareness about thesignificance of this field among the general public, especially younggeneration (under high-school age) and their parents.
In the third period starting from January 2022, in addition to the past
activities, we are developing newer activities focusing on SDGs andSTEAM education.

Research Group
Development of Separation andConcentration Technologies
for Utilizing Waste and Refractory
Ores as Resources

Developing New High-Efficiency
Recycling Technologies forRare Metals

Optimization of Non-Ferrous
Metal Smelting Processes

Project Prof.
Toru H. Okabe

Project Prof.
Chiharu Tokoro

Project Prof.
Harumasa
Kurokawa

Okabe laboratory is dedicated to developing innovative, highefficiency, and environmentally sound recycling technologies
for rare metals such as titanium, which is anticipated to see
increased demand as a structural material; tungsten andcobalt, indispensable in tool materials; rhenium, which isused in nickel-based superalloys; and platinum group metals
found in automotive exhaust catalysts.

Tokoro laboratory conducts research to achieve an energyefficient separation and concentration process that focuseson solid/solid separation and concentration without melting
down the waste and ores. This process acts as a crucial “pretreatment” or “intermediate treatment” in the overall
metallurgical or hydrometallurgical processes that produce
high-purity metals.

Kurokawa Laboratory aims to achieve processes that areenergy-efficient, environmentally sound, and cost-effectiveby minimizing energy consumption in production andmaximizing the recovery of target metals to reduce wastegeneration.

Creating New Value fromIntellectual Property for a Better
FutureDevelopment of Non-Ferrous
Metal Products and Next
Generation Education Through
Design Engineering
Project Prof.
Shunji
Yamanaka

Project Prof.
Tomoko SuganoIntellectual property (IP) plays a crucial role in the practicalapplication of technologies and ideas in society. We explore
effective methods for IP protection to facilitate societalimplementation. Moreover, we leverage IP as a tool togenerate new spaces for collaborative innovation. IP not
only connects a diverse range of individuals but also fosters
the creation of new knowledge and establishes novel
platforms for interaction, thereby helping to shape a better
future society.

Non-ferrous metals are indispensable materials foradvanced devices and clean technologies. We arecommitted to new initiatives that demonstrate the value of
non-ferrous metals to society at large through the designand prototyping of products utilizing these metals. At thesame time, these projects serve as a platform for cultivating
new breed of design engineers who possess both technicalknowledge and a sense of aesthetics.

Development of High-Efficiency
Metal Manufacturing andRecycling Processes

Project Lecturer
Takanari Ouchi

Ouchi Laboratory focuses on developing new methods forprocessing and recycling non-ferrous metals, guided by acommitment to achieving high-efficiency energy use andresource recycling. We strive to use energy more efficiently
in transforming raw materials into metals, thereby helping toadvance the state of the field. We are also innovating
recycling processes to facilitate resource recycling,furthering our contribution to the creation of a sustainable
society.

大規模実験高度解析推進基盤