Clayteam Outline

環境エネルギー研究センターの外観写真

Many research efforts have been undertaken for investigation of raw material clays, film-forming methods, processing methods, and applications of clay films developed at AIST in 2006. Consequently, individual development by many research organizations and enterprises has achieved a certain level. Sharable knowledge has also been accumulated through publications, patents, and so on. Moreover, application studies of film and sheet formation from clays and nanosheets have been emerging and attracting attention in the research field of materials science.

However, clay films as a general purpose material still confront technical and economical obstacles to their practical use. Further cooperation by research organizations and enterprises is necessary to address that challenge. "Claist® Liason Committee", established in 2008, based on such understanding, has played an important role through activity for about two years. Now it is desired that "Claist® Liason Committee" be developed to a cooperative organization with enhanced cooperation functions, and that material exploitation specializing in clay films and inorganic nanoscale materials be accelerated and implemented through concentration of "Monodzukuri" science and wisdom in various scientific and industrial fields. Therefore, Clayteam, an AIST consortium, has been established to cultivate and sustain that cooperation.

Purpose

This consortium aims to exploit materials specialized in clay films and inorganic nanoscale materials and their application. For this goal, this consortium promotes integrated exploitation through concentration of "Monodzukuri" science and wisdom, while sharing information through cooperation of various scientific and industrial fields. Then this consortium aims at propagation and market formation of materials and related technologies to clay films and inorganic nanoscale materials.

Consortium Activities

1. Activities
(1) Technical instruction about materials specialized in clay films and inorganic nanoscale materials.
(2) Promotion of technology transfer of materials specialized in clay films and inorganic nanoscale materials.
(3) Collection, research/study, and propagation of information about materials specialized in clay films and inorganic nanoscale materials.
(4) Opening a sample clay library related to materials specialized in clay films and inorganic nanoscale materials.
(5) Planning and administration of seminars about materials specialized in clay films and inorganic nanoscale materials.
(6) Exhibition and public relations.
(7) Other miscellaneous activities necessary to achieve the purpose of this consortium
2. Types of Membership
(1) General member A: Researchers of universities or public institutions
(2) General member B: Corporations and enterprises
(3) Special member
3. Membership Fees
General member A: Free
General member B: 200,000 yen per annum*
*Membership fee for corporations applicable to Article 2 of Small and Medium Enterprise Basic Law will be 100,000 yen per annum and free for the first year.
4. Member Merits
Members can get basic and current information about Claist®.
Members can get opportunities of appeal in seminars and exhibitions.
Members can register their own clay samples to Clay Library and get samples therefrom.
5. Seminars
Seminars are planned to be held around four times per year––about twice in Sendai, and about twice in Tokyo––which include three half-day seminars and a single one-day seminar with a booth presentation and get-together party. Their themes will specifically relate to materials specialized in clay films and inorganic nanoscale materials.