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Limonene Recycling
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Since December 1998, Sony had operated an experimental plant to recycle waste polystyrene foam using limonene, a substance derived from orange peel. By August 2005, Sony recycled approximately 820 tons of waste polystyrene foam in total, and completed the experiment.
According to the result of the experiment, the recycled polystyrene foam by limonene method proved almost as high quality as new polystyrene foam, confirming the possibility to recycle waste polystyrene foam. In August 2005, the experimental plant was transferred to a company specialized in collecting polystyrene foam. The limonene recycling is currently put to practical use in two companies in Japan.
Sony will continue to use limonene to dissolve a certain amount of waste polystyrene foam generated by the Group companies, recycle the polystyrene foam at limonene recycling plants in Japan, and use the recycled polystyrene foam in Sony products. |
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| Polystyrene Foam Recycling System Employing Limonene |
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| Dissolving Styrene Foam with Limonene |
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Waste 8mm Cassette Shell
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| In 1998, Sony has developed technology that can transform ABS plastics, such as those from used 8 mm cassette shells and MD cases, into an absorbent resin by applying chemical modification. As conventional resins of this type are made from petroleum, this recycling technology helps conserve natural resources. Sony is continuing its research on utilization of this technology. |
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Converting waste 8mm cassette shells into water-
absorbing resin: an increasing range of possibilities |
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| Resin absorbing water |
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Waste Plastic
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Some polystyrene materials from videocassette shells, TV cabinets, and other products cannot be recycled as plastics. Sony has devised a way to reuse these polystyrenes in the form of a water-soluble polymer that can be used to condense pollutants contained in industrial wastewater. This technology realizes effective use of the huge volume of used polystyrene, contributing to the reduction of waste materials as well as purification of factory waste water.
The polymer produced from materials obtained from a single VHS cassette shell can be used to treat 65 barrels of waste water. Presently, Sony has introduced this technology to its semiconductor plant. Sony is continuing its research on this technology to implement in the Sony manufacturing sites. |
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| Treatment of Factory Waste Water Using a Polymer Flocculent Made of Waste Plastic |
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| Reuse of Polystyrene through Chemical Improvement |
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-VHS cassette shell-water solubie polymer
-water solubie polymer enabies condensation |
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Converting waste DVD into ABS/PC alloy
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| DVDs look similar in appearance to CDs. But a DVD has double-layered structure, which makes it difficult for them to be recycled. Sony developed technology that recycles pulverized DVDs for use in Sony product components, making the most of DVD's characteristics. |
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| Collected DVD discs are first pulverized then blended with additives such as appropriate dyes and ABS plastic. The mixture is pelletized to create a new ABS/polycarbonate alloy. The alloy is used as components that require highly heat resistant and flame retardant properties. |
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Recycling Waste Mixture of Sulfuric Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide at a Semiconductor Plant
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A mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide is widely used to clean the silicon wafer in semiconductor manufacturing processes. The waste mixture is treated with large amounts of water and chemicals, generating large volumes of sludge and wastewater.
Sony found that adding a trace of nitric acid to the waste mixture decomposed the residual hydrogen peroxide in the waste mixture into oxygen and water easily, and developed a technology which converts the waste mixture into a high-purity concentrated sulfuric acid not containing hydrogen peroxide. Sony Semiconductor Kyushu Corporation adopted the technology to its plant in 2001, and the concentrated sulfuric acid has been effectively used as a neutralizer for wastewater treatment in the plant.
The reclamation equipment does not require heating or cooling and saves energy consumed at recycling. In addition, introduction of the equipment reduces input of chemicals for wastewater treatment, leading to improvement of treated water quality. |
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