July 14, 2020
NAGASE & CO., LTD.

Development of processes using separation membranes to conserve energy inorganic solvent recovery as part of the manufacturing process for electronicdevices selected as NEDO grant project
The development of processes using solvent resistant membranes to conserve energy in organic
solvent recovery which was jointly proposed by NAGASE & Co., Ltd. (Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative
Director and President: Kenji Asakura) and Unitika Ltd. (Chuo-ku, Osaka; Representative Directorand President: Shuji Ueno) has been selected as a grant project under the New Energy and Industrial
Technology Development Organization (NEDO)’s FY 2020 Strategic Innovation Program for Energy
Conservation Technologies (Joint research: Kobe University; Commission: NAGASE TechnoEngineering Co., Ltd.).
To reuse the organic solvent used in a wide array of manufacturing processes, including those forelectronic devices such as semiconductors and liquid-crystal displays, it is necessary to remove
impurities such as resin from the used solvent. Generally, distillation is used for this purpose, using
high temperatures to separate the solvent from any impurities. However, as this distillation method
requires large amounts of heat energy, the environmental burden of the high CO2 emissions caused
is an issue. The organic solvent resistant nanofiltration membrane (organic membrane) which Unitika
and Kobe University have been researching is a technology that separates the solvent from impurities
by passing the used solvent through a filtration membrane made of numerous hollow fibers, shaped
like straws, and it is expected to have one-hundredth or less of the energy cost of distillation, forsignificant energy conservation. With this grant, the nanofiltration membrane will be furtherimproved, with efforts made to improve precision of impurity removal and enable mass production.
Unitika and Kobe University will develop the nanofiltration membrane, while the NAGASE Group’s
NAGASE and NAGASE Techno-Engineering will use their knowledge of membrane separation andconcentration management technology cultivated in the recycling of the photographic developer usedin the manufacturing of electronic devices to carry out the development and marketing of a solvent
recycling system. Using the NAGASE Group’s broad network, efforts will be made to expand intoindustries other than electronics components which require separation, concentration, and refining
technology, such as medicine, agrochemicals, chemical materials, textiles, and coating. The NAGASEGroup is working towards “a sustainable world where people live with peace of mind,” and willcontinue to contribute to the creation of a better society.

[Overview of Project Selected]
FY 2020 Strategic Innovation Program for Energy Conservation
Grant Project Name

Technologies (Round 1)
Development of processes using solvent resistant membranes toconserve energy in organic solvent recovery

Grant PeriodJuly 2020 to February 2023

■ Inquiries
NAGASE CO., & LTD. https://www.nagase.co.jp/
Contact for BusinessElectronic Function Materials and Process Division, Electronics Department: Tel.: 06-6535-2525
Contact for Media Coverage
Corporate Administration Office, Corporate Planning Department: Tel.: 03-3665-3640