Helping to Protect the Environment by Continually Improving NOF’s Unique Technologies

NOF divides the product development process from planning through to sales into six stages. Internal regulations stipulate that thorough reviews are to be performed at each stage with regard to relevant laws and regulations, safety, potential hazards and other matters. This means that at each stage there are prescribed responses the company takes to any problems that arise. Environmental protection issues are also taken into account at every stage. If certain conditions are not met, remedial action is taken or product development halted.

As a chemicals group, NOF is actively promoting product development that puts a strong emphasis on protecting the environment. As part of efforts to develop environmentally friendly products and technologies, NOF is looking to introduce the concept of Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA), ultimately aiming to create a product development and manufacturing process with less impact on the environment across the board.

NOF supplies a wide range of products in its role as a mid-stream materials manufacturer. Most NOF products are used by customers as raw materials, ending up as part of the final product. NOF works to reduce energy consumption and the volume of raw materials used in the manufacturing processes for all its products. The products and technologies explained in this section in particular have been positioned as environmentally friendly products.

Note: The products below were developed, or are now being developed, to help protect the environment. However, because they undergo further processing by customers before final use, it is difficult to assess the overall environmental benefit of these products.

A great deal of wood scraps such as bark and sawdust is often incinerated instead of being put to good use. Attempting to mix wood scraps with synthetic resin is difficult. The two materials tend to separate, and the strength and appearance of the end product are inferior. These problems have been a major obstacle to the reuse of wood scraps.

The wood-plastics compatibilizer developed by NOF acts as an interface between the cellulose in the wood and the synthetic resin, producing a uniform mixture of both materials. Another advantage of this agent is the ability to recycle plastic waste.

Thanks to this product, wood scraps, tea grounds and other materials that are normally incinerated, as well as plastic waste, another material usually disposed of through incineration, can be recycled as a useful material.

·Mixing in wood means less synthetic resin is needed, allowing users to conserve resources.
·Other waste materials can be combined with the wood and synthetic resin.

Lead-free Solder — NOF CORPORATION: Electronic Materials Dept.
Against the backdrop of increasing global environmental problems, the development of lead-free solder has become a widespread international trend. As part of efforts to develop flux that can be used with this solder, NOF is using blocked acid hardening technology to develop a functional flux that does not need cleaning prior to use.

New Refrigeration Oil Compatible with CFC Substitutes — NOF CORPORATION: Oleo & Speciality Chemicals
Steps are being taken globally to prevent the use and reduce emissions of substances that damage the ozone layer. There are now a growing number of alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) designated for elimination. However, one consideration when assessing the viability of these substitute CFCs as a refrigerant, is their compatibility with the lubricating oil used in the refrigeration equipment. NOF is helping to promote the adoption of these alternatives by supplying a new refrigeration oil that can be used in non-CFC refrigerators and freezers.

Additive to Improve Diesel Lubricity — NOF CORPORATION: Oleo & Speciality Chemicals
As the emission of atmospheric pollutants from diesel-powered vehicles has become a major social problem, regulations restricting these emissions have been tightened a number of times. Tokyo and other metropolitan areas began enforcing their own emissions regulations in October 2003. In line with this stricter regulatory environment, more and more diesel vehicles are being fitted with exhaust gas treatment systems (DPFs and others).

During combustion, sulfur contained in diesel is released as SOx. In addition to polluting the air, this substance reduces the effectiveness of exhaust gas treatment systems. Although the level of sulfur in diesel fuel has steadily been reduced to comply with government regulations, the most recent rules further restrict sulfur content to no more than 50ppm. However, removing sulfur from the fuel also eliminates substances that provide lubrication, leading to problems such as diesel fuel adhering to internal engine components.

By using the NOF additive to improve the lubricity of the diesel fuel, lubrication levels inside the engine can be increased, thereby contributing to the greater acceptance of low-sulfur diesel fuels (containing no more than 50ppm of sulfur).

Agents to Enable the Recycling of Used Paper — Yuka Sangyo Co., Ltd.
Yuka Sangyo has developed reagents that enable the recycling of paper, containing a large amount of adhesives. One product, an internal sticky control agent, breaks down these adhesives to a point where they no longer stain the paper. Another reagent helps to decollate the used paper, which is often durable and difficult to break down. Using these reagents means that paper that was simply disposed of in the past can now be recycled.

Water-based Rigid Polyurethane Flooring Material — Yuka Sangyo Co., Ltd.
This product uses rigid polyurethane, a non-volatile material compatible with regulations on emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). In addition to its durability, this flooring material is a leading environmental product in terms of odor, formaldehyde release and other parameters.

Lead-free Shotgun Pellets — Nippo Industry Co., Ltd.
Nippo Industry uses a new compound containing plastic and tungsten as a substitute for lead in shotgun pellets. The compound has the same relative density and hardness as lead.