No. 658: Using a capsule to recover rare metals from industrial effluent (November 29, 2012)

Technology:

Morishita Jintan will make a capsule to recover rare metals from industrial effluent practical in 2013 in alliance with Mitsubishi Corp. Capsules with microorganisms inside that adsorb rare metals are built in a device to be incorporated in the effluent purification equipment for efficient recovery and recycle of rare metals.　The company will build a plant to produce the capsules with an investment of 500 million yen including a subsidy from the Ministry of Economy,Trade and Industry. The plant will start operation in March 2013, and full production is scheduled to start in September. Mitsubishi Corp. will market and lease the device that incorporates the capsules. Capsules inside the device can be replaced as needed. The price of the capsule is not decided yet.

Morishita Jintan utilized the self-developed technology that it has accumulated in such business fields as foods and pharmaceuticals. The microorganisms inside the capsule adsorb rare metals that infiltrate through the capsule’s membrane. Rare metals are recovered by burning the capsules. It does not cost much to introduce the device incorporating capsules because what is required is only to install the device in the equipment. 

Morishita Jintan’s researchers who 

developed the capsule to recover rare metals