Carbon-Neutral Materials Research Group

We are conducting research and development on manufacturing ceramic materials, which typically require sintering at temperatures above 1000°C, at low temperatures below 100°C, without conventional firing. By developing an automated powder weighing system and utilizing collaborative robots, we have been able to obtain large amounts of data in a short time. Using these data, we applied AI to predict optimal conditions such as material composition and synthesis temperature. As a result, we discovered that several dozen types of composite oxide ceramic solids can be produced through a chemical sintering process. A notable feature of this process is that highly crystalline composite oxides can be obtained without applying external pressure. The dramatic reduction in processing temperature contributes to lowering CO2 emissions during the manufacturing of functional ceramic materials.
(Press Release 10/18/2023)

We are developing a materials discovery protocol for next-generation all-solid-state batteries by integrating an automated powder experimental system, high-throughput evaluation, and AI-driven analysis. Our work focuses on three key elements: automation of powder experiments under inert atmospheres, high-speed characterization of battery materials, and efficient analysis and autonomous experimental planning using AI. We aim to establish an automated experimental system and development protocol in which these elements cooperate efficiently without becoming bottlenecks for one another. The widespread adoption of automated experimental systems for functional ceramic materials is expected to significantly accelerate the development of energy-conversion materials, such as secondary batteries and fuel cells, that contribute to achieving carbon neutrality.