TriporousTM, contributing for a clean world
A revolutionary new porous carbon material from Sony, recycled from excess biomass.
A revolutionary new porous carbon material for purifying water and air
Sony’s Triporous™ is a unique and versatile porous carbon material for purifying water and air, improving safety, hygiene and comfort in a wide range of environments worldwide. Through TriporousTM, Sony envisions a future where clean water and clean air can be accessible to all.
Winner of “Encouragement Award for 21st Century Inventions”, and “21st Century Contribution” from the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation.
Giving new purpose to discarded waste
TriporousTM is produced from discarded rice husks
TriporousTM is produced from excess biomass. Sony’s technology recycles excess biomass to make TriporousTM which may help to reduce environmental impact.
Annual emissions of rice husks by region
Worldwide, about 150M tons are generated per year
[1] Asia (Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam): 136Mt
[2] Africa (Egypt, Nigeria): 6.16Mt
[3] South America (Brazil): 4.74Mt
[4] North America (USA): 2.04Mt
[5] Europe (EU): 0.84Mt
[6] Oceania (Australia): 0.06Mt
What is TriporousTM ?
Faster adsorption, and adsorbing larger substances
TriporousTM has pores of three different sizes, allowing it to adsorb larger organic substances, and to adsorb some organic substances far more quickly and efficiently than conventional activated carbon. Organic substances adsorbed by the larger pores include bacteria and viruses, large proteins, and a range of large organic molecules.
[1] TriporousTM [2] Conventional activated carbon
TriporousTM outperforms conventional activated carbon
The unique microstructure of TriporousTM makes it effective for adsorbing gas and odour. It also offers superior performance in removing larger organic substances from liquid, such as the bacteriophage MS2, compared to the coconut-husk-based activated carbon adsorbent typically used in water purification.
[1] Contamination [2] Time (mins) [3] TriporousTM result [4] Coconut-husk-based activated carbon
The possibilities of TriporousTM
Imagine odour-free sports clothing; faster and more efficient water and air cleaners; and enhancements to products as diverse as food, cosmetics and electronics – remarkably, these are all possibilities with TriporousTM technology.
Improving water quality
TriporousTM filtering could be used to provide clean drinking water even in unsanitary environments. This would be particularly beneficial in developing countries.
Improving air quality
TriporousTM can clean the air by adsorbing pollutants like industrial vapour and gas. This may also help reduce exposure to some types of microscopic particulate matter (PM2.5) and photochemical smog.
Conserving the environment with rice husks
Dr. Seiichiro Tabata
Inventor of Triporous
Sony Group Corporation
In the process of doing basic research on battery materials, I worked on developing the new porous material TriporousTM. Made from rice husk, it has three types of pores at different sizes (the “tri” in the name comes from the number three). This unique microstructure gives the material a variety of potential applications. For example, the ability of TriporousTM to remove virus particles means it might help to secure clean water in parts of the world not connected to the electricity grid. Research and development are still in progress. Through this new material that cleans water and air, I would like to contribute to making possible a more comfortable and sustainable life for the world’s people.
TriporousTM
An Innovative New Material for Purifying Water and Air（English only）
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Licensing enquiries
Sony has begun to license out TriporousTM. Companies considering the use of TriporousTM in their own products and factories, or looking to collaborate in the TriporousTM business, please enquire here.