ROKI Develops Unique Manufacturing Technology for MOF Mass Production and Quality Stability via Solvent-Free Water-Based Process

ROKI Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Hamamatsu, Shizuoka; President: Takaya Shimada) has developed a unique manufacturing technology for Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) suitable for continuous synthesis.

Key Highlights of this Release:
- Realized MOF synthesis at atmospheric pressure and in a short time using water-based synthesis without organic solvents.
- Contributes to mass production and quality stability through continuous synthesis and suppression of particle size variation.
- Expected expansion into applications such as CO2 capture, rare gas recycling, and spatial gas concentration control.

Background:
In recent years, demand for technologies to efficiently separate, capture, and control specific gases, including CO2, has increased to address global warming, resource circulation, and advanced spatial environment management. While MOFs have gained attention as materials capable of selectively adsorbing gas molecules, they have faced challenges in manufacturing conditions, quality stability, and scale-up for mass production. ROKI's unique manufacturing technology enables stable continuous synthesis and process construction for MOF mass production, contributing to the practical use of gas control technologies.

Developed Technology:
General MOF manufacturing often uses large amounts of organic solvents and requires high-pressure, long-duration processes, posing a challenge for mass production. In contrast, ROKI has uniquely developed a water-based, atmospheric-pressure synthesis technology that ensures high safety and achieves synthesis in a short time. This reduces the load on manufacturing equipment and builds a production foundation suitable for scale-up. Additionally, this process has led to the creation of MOFs with new properties, expanding possibilities for gas control applications. (Patents: No. 7406668, No. 7411846)

Comparison with Conventional Methods:
Comparison Item | ROKI Unique Technology | Conventional MOF Manufacturing
Solvent Used | Water-based synthesis | Uses organic solvents
Reaction Conditions | Mild conditions (RT-90°C, 1atm) | High temp./pressure (~200°C, ~5atm)
Reaction Time | Short process (1-18h) | Long process (3 days)
Production Method | Supports continuous synthesis | Mostly batch process
*atm: standard atmosphere

Features:
- Improved mass productivity through continuous synthesis: By serializing the process from raw material supply to reactant recovery, process construction for mass production is enabled.
- Quality stability through particle size uniformity: Suppressing particle size variation in products contributes to stabilizing material quality.
- Water-based synthesis: Realizes a manufacturing process that considers safety and environmental load reduction by not using organic solvents.
- Versatility and high scalability: Supports synthesis and evaluation of various MOF materials for material exploration based on applications.

Applications:
- Gas separation, capture, and concentration (e.g., CO2, greenhouse gases, rare gas recycling, separation of various gases)
- Spatial gas concentration control (e.g., gas management in rooms, warehouses, and transport containers)
- Transport of collected gas (e.g., transfer of recovered gas, downstream utilization)

Development History and Future Outlook:
Based on filtration technology developed in the automotive and industrial sectors, ROKI has expanded its development field from capturing dust and particles to gas molecule-level control technology. This MOF manufacturing technology is one of the pillars of our technical foundation, considering not only material synthesis but also shaping and equipment application. We will continue to develop MOF materials according to applications and aim to expand into fields such as gas separation, capture, and concentration control.