Murata Manufacturing's Heat-Resistant Ceramic Catalysts Significantly Reduce Fuel Use: Taking on the Challenge of Reducing Scope 1 Emissions (Part 2)

Murata's heat-resistant ceramic catalysts have succeeded in significantly reducing fuel use in regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) that neutralize the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contained in factory exhaust gases. Installing our catalysts in RTO devices allows companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their own business activities (Scope 1), which is a major issue for the manufacturing industry. Following on from the first half, in which we heard about the background to this initiative, in the second half, we asked about specific demonstration results.

Murata conducted demonstration experiments in our own factories to verify the performance of our heat-resistant ceramic catalysts in a real-world environment. We spoke with Mr. Yasuda from the Ceramic Capacitor Business Unit and Mr. Sato from the Corporate Technology & Business Development Unit about the demonstration process and the specific results obtained from it.

Yasuda: "First, we wanted to test our catalysts, starting with sites that consume a lot of fuel, in order to demonstrate the technology at Murata's factories. Accordingly, our production site in Wuxi, China became a potential test site. There are strict regulations on exhaust gas treatment in China. Therefore, successful results in China would provide powerful data for global rollout of the catalysts. Together with this, we also felt it was essential to conduct a test in an environment where we could easily obtain detailed data. That meant we also conducted a demonstration at our Yasu Division in Shiga Prefecture. This is a site that is physically close to Murata Manufacturing's headquarters.
In the demonstration, we installed our heat-resistant ceramic catalysts and then gradually lowered the set temperature. We confirmed that there were no problems with the decomposition performance when lowering the temperature by 50℃, 100℃, and then 150℃. We expected a fuel reduction effect of about 20 to 30% in our preliminary calculations. However, we actually produced results that far exceeded our expectations, with a fuel reduction effect of 30 to 50% and, at most, of more than 60%.
We couldn't believe the results at first, so we conducted repeated detailed analysis. This was because we predicted a reduction effect of just a few tens of percent, based on our simple preliminary calculations when lowering the set temperature from 850℃ to 700℃. Nevertheless, upon investigation, it became clear that, in reality, the exhaust gas concentration constantly fluctuates according to the factory's production volume, causing the burners to repeatedly open and close in line with those fluctuations. Therefore, introducing catalysts stabilizes the heat inside the furnace, and this reduces the need for the burners to open and close. As a result, this helped the fuel reduction rate as a synergistic effect.
In terms of the actual fuel reduction after introducing the catalysts, the technology demonstrated an energy-saving effect of 53% at Yasu Division A, 32% at Yasu Division B (separate line), and 37% at Wuxi Murata Electronics Co., Ltd. We also produced an energy-saving effect of 62% at Izumo Murata Manufacturing by combining an existing heat storage unit and catalysts without changing the set temperature. This corresponds to an annual reduction in GHGs of 2,000 tons."

Sato: "Even when we show customers the demonstration figures, they often ask us, 'Why does this happen?' As engineers, I believe we need to consider how to explain the effects in an easy-to-understand manner from the perspective of the actual user."

These heat-resistant ceramic catalysts have received high praise not only for their energy-saving effect through fuel reduction but also various other aspects.

Yasuda: "For example, no special equipment modification work is required to install the catalysts. When the catalysts deteriorate, they need to be replaced, but this is a simple task. It can essentially be completed in two to three days just by replacing the honeycombs in a furnace that has cooled to a temperature where workers can work in it.
In addition, it took less than two years to amortize the initial costs at Wuxi Murata Electronics Co., Ltd. If the reduction rate is high, we believe it is possible to recover the investment in as little as one year. These economic benefits mean that customers who have actually experienced our catalysts' effectiveness in their first unit often go on to utilize them in other treatment devices within a relatively short period of time."

Efforts are underway to create environmental value through the development of heat-resistant ceramic catalysts. Looking ahead, what prospects do you see for providing even more sustainable value?

Sato: "I feel that Murata's technology cultivated as an electronics component manufacturer has a lot of potential to be applied in different fields through catalyst research. I hope that initiatives like this, which contribute to environmental issues and social value, will become ingrained in Murata's new corporate culture.
Among other efforts, we are currently developing catalyst materials with longer lifespans and exploring the possibilities of reusing waste materials. Complete reuse is difficult. However, we would like to aim to carry out design with a view to reducing loss from wastage in the future."

Yasuda: "Our customers, who are working to comply with regulations, are not just focused on compliance; rather they are seriously considering social value in terms of how they can reduce Scope 1 emissions as far as possible and what measures they should take in the medium to long term. We will continue to build upon the development and practical application of materials technology in the future, in order to increase the number of factories with environmentally-friendly treatment devices one unit at a time."