Nov.04, 2021
NORITAKE CO., LIMITEDTokyo Gas Co., Ltd.
Tokyo Gas Engineering Solutions Corporation

World’s First Hydrogen Combustion-type Continuous Combustion
Furnace for Making Lithium-ion Battery Electrode Materials Goes on Sale～Zero Carbon Achieved for Making Lithium-ion Battery Electrode Materials～
NORITAKE CO., LIMITED (Noritake), Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. (Tokyo Gas) andTokyo Gas Engineering Solutions Corporation (TGES) have announced the developmentof the world’s first hydrogen combustion-type continuous combustion furnace*1“C-SERT-RHK-Nero*2 ” (Nero) for making lithium-ion battery (LiB) electrode materials.
The furnace has achieved zero carbon emission for making lithium-ion battery electrodematerials by adapting a special ceramic radiant tube burner.
Nero, created by the fusion of Noritake’s firing furnace technology*3 and Tokyo Gas/TGES
hydrogen combustion technology *4 is an innovative device to realize zero carbon
emission at firing.

Ｈ2World’s first hydrogen burning-type roller hearth kiln for lithium-ion battery electrode materials (C-SERT-RHK-Nero)

Nero performs stable heat treatment using hydrogen as fuel at the high temperature(1,000 degrees C or higher) required in the manufacturing process of LiB electrodematerials which are in high demand in recent years. High-temperature firing by hydrogenmono-fuel combustion does not generate CO2, but there are issues to be cleared such as
stable heating and suppression of NOx (nitrogen oxides) generation especially in narrow
space. However, by combining the three companies’ technologies, they have overcome
the problems and succeeded in commercializing this product.
Noritake, Tokyo Gas and TGES intend to use the highly efficient heating technology ofNero not only for LiB electrode materials, but also for applications such as automobile
manufacturing fields (i.e. hot stamping) and 5G electronic parts that require stable heat
treatment at high temperature. Three companies will also apply this technology in otherfields of applications to contribute to decarbonization of heating processes for variousproducts.

■ Features of this product１．Achieve zero carbon by adapting hydrogen
combustion type
２．Suppress NOx (nitrogen oxides) generation athydrogen combustion
Since the combustion speed is fast and the flame

temperature is high for high-temperature firing by hydrogen mono-fuel combustion, suppression of NOx
generation is possible by original combustion technology while NOx tends to begenerated especially in narrow space.
３．Achieve temperature accuracy equivalent to natural gas combustion byoriginal firing technology and high-durability burner
Three companies have solved the issue of durability which was a problem for theconventional electric heating type by adapting special ceramic with high heat-proof
and corrosion resistance (active oxidation resistance*5, lithium attack resistance *6)
to the burner as a heating element (radiant tube). With original firing technology,
stable heating such as leveling of temperature distribution, smooth temperature
follow-up, and maintenance of oxygen concentration becomes possible and thus
temperature accuracy equivalent to that at natural gas combustion is achieved byhydrogen combustion.
４．Applicable to heat treatment at various high temperatures
・ LiB field: Cathode material, anode material, next-generation battery material
・ Automobile field: Super high-tensile steel plate (hot stamp), sintered parts, plug,sensor, catalyst, magnetic material・ Communication field: 5G electronic parts, ferrite, ceramic circuit board, targetmaterial, etc.
５．Correspondence to firing mixture of hydrogen and natural gas
By firing a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen that is still high in price, CO2emissions can be reduced while reducing energy cost compared with firing ofnatural gas alone.
■Detail video on YouTube

https://youtu.be/uZcaQGXxviY■RHK lineup for LiB electrode material＜Natural gas type: C-SERT-RHK＞
・Capable to reduce maximum 40% energy cost, compared with electricity type・Achieve high durability by adapting special ceramic radiant tube burner in same way
as Nero＜Electricity type: C-SERT-RHK-Fos *７＞・High durability, compared with conventional electric type, by adapting special ceramic radianttube burner in same way as Nero・Capable with electricity when securing natural gas and hydrogen utility is difficult.
■Noritake’s website for decarbonization industrial furnace technical information

https://www.noritake.co.jp/noritake_dift/＊１：Continuous hydrogen combustion-type furnace: Roller-type furnace that performs highquality heat treatment by processing products to pass through the set temperature continuously
by roller conveyance＊２：C-SERT-RHK-Nero; Hydrogen combustion type C-SERT-RHK
C : Ceramic, SERT : Single End Radiant Tube Burner, RHK : Roller Hearth Kiln
Nero: means water in Greek (hydrogen combustion type)＊３：Noritake’s firing furnace technology:
World’s leading track record in firing furnaces for manufacturing LiB electrode materials.
Noritake’s consistent, high-speed and atmosphere-controlled heating technology for roller
hearth kilns cultivated in tableware manufacturing contributes to the development of advanced
industries with high quality and equipment technology essential for mass production.
＊４：Tokyo Gas/TGES hydrogen combustion technology;
They have developed regenerative burners and ceramic radiant tube burners (C-SERT) aspioneers of energy-saving burners in Japan and are proud of their track record of selling 1,200
C-SERTs.
＊５：Active oxidation resistance: an oxidation phenomenon that occurs in an environment with avery small amount of oxygen concentration at high temperature (aka production environment
for negative electrode materials). Since this phenomenon exhausts the atoms that make up theceramic, the life of the general-purpose ceramic heater is shortened significantly.
＊６：Lithium attack resistance: a phenomenon in which highly corrosive lithium contained in thecathode material melts, adheres to, and damages walls and heating equipment (gas burnersand electric heaters)＊７：Means light in Greek, high corrosion resistance heater type

NORITAKE CO., LIMITED
Headquarters: 3-1-36, Noritake-shinmachi, Nishi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 451-8501, Japan
Establishment: January 1, 1904
Main Business: Industrial Products Business, Ceramics & Materials Business,
Engineering Business, Tabletop Business
Website: www.noritake.co.jp/eng/
Representative Director & President: Hiroshi Kato
Capital: 15,632 million yen
Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.
Headquarters: 1-5-20 Kaigan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Established: October 1, 1885
Main Business: Gas business. Electric power business. Overseas business.
Energy-related business. Real Estate business, etc.
Website：www.tokyo-gas.co.jp/en/
Representative Corporate Executive Officer,President and CEO: Takashi UCHIDA
Capital：141.8 billion yen
Tokyo Gas Engineering Solutions Corporation
Headquarters: 1-2-3 Kaigan, MInato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Establishment: April 1, 2015 (as a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd.)
Main Business:On-site energy services. Regional energy services. Planning, design,construction, operation, and maintenance of energy-related facilities.
Sales for related facilitiesincluding LNG Receiving Terminals, pipelines, gas
supply facilities, power generating facilities, CHP, burner, energy utilizing
facilities, etc.
Website:www.tokyogas-es.co.jp/en
President and CEO: Yasuhiro KONISHI
Capital: 10 billion yen