| Jan. 18, 2005 Fujitsu Limited Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd. Toray Industries, Inc. |
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Fujitsu and Toray Develop World’s First Environmentally-Friendly Large-Size Plastic Housing for Notebook PCs - Facilitates reduction of both environmental burden and petroleum consumption - |
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| Tokyo, January 13, 2005 - Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Laboratories,
Ltd., and Toray Industries, Inc. today announced their joint development of the
world’s first large-size notebook PC plastic housing made of plant-based
plastic with low environmental burden. The new environmentally-friendly plastic
is used in Fujitsu’s 2005 spring model FMV-BIBLO NB80K notebook PC. The three companies plan to expand on various applications for this plastic, thereby further contributing to a reduction in the environmental burden as well as lower consumption of petroleum resources. In recent years, environmental issues such as ozone depletion, air pollution, environmental pollution, and rapid increase of industrial waste and toxic waste, have emerged worldwide. To address these problems, there is a need for the development of a recycling-based society. Currently, various environmental laws and regulations are being legislated on a global scale, to reduce burden on the environment. The IT industry is no exception to these trends, and in Japan, environmental awareness is on the rise with a number of environmentally-related laws that been passed: the Law on Promoting Green Purchasing (*1), the Law for the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources (*2), and the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Law (*3). Use of fossil fuels, such as petroleum and coal, increases CO2 in the atmosphere and causes rapid spread of the greenhouse effect, resulting in an urgent need to reduce CO2 emissions. Given these circumstances, there is increasing interest in applications of plastics created from plant materials, as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics which are limited in resource. In June 2002, Fujitsu and Fujitsu Laboratories announced the development of the world’s first technology for plant-based plastics that could be used for small-size housing components in notebook PCs, using polylactic acid (*4) derived from corn and other plants. This technology was used in one of Fujitsu’s FMV-BIBLO notebook PC models. Toray positions polylactic acid as an environmentally-friendly, advanced material and has been developing markets for fibers, textiles, plastics and films under the brand name Ecodear*, while conducting ongoing research in ways to obtain better performance from polylactic acid. In order to broaden the applications for plant-based plastics, the three companies have been improving the materials’ heat resistance and flame retardance properties. The new material formerly was not suited for volume production and use in large-size housing, due to its use of polylactic acid which has low glass transition temperature (*5), making it difficult to mold. The companies have now developed a new type of plastic that uses polymer alloy technology (*6) blending polylactic acid and a non-crystalline plastic with a high glass transition temperature as well as flame-retardant technology (*7). These advances have resulted in a material with the heat resistance and flame retardance mandatory for a large-size housing for IT devices, which features easy moldability, making it suitable for mass production. On the environmental front, the new plastic consists of roughly 50% natural products (including plant- based materials), reducing the use of petroleum resources. When used to manufacture a notebook PC, CO2 emissions over the product’s entire lifecycle are reduced by roughly 15%, thereby further reducing the impact on the environment. Fujitsu, Fujitsu Laboratories, and Toray plan to expand the range of uses for this new material as a way to further reduce overall environmental burden and consumption of petroleum resources in the IT industry. Glossary |
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About Fujitsu Fujitsu is a leading provider of customer-focused IT and communications solutions for the global marketplace. Pace-setting technologies, highly reliable computing and communications platforms, and a worldwide corps of systems and services experts uniquely position Fujitsu to deliver comprehensive solutions that open up infinite possibilities for its customers' success. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.7 trillion yen (US$45 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004. For more information, please see here. About Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. Founded in 1968 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Laboratories Limited is one of the premier research centers in the world. With a global network of laboratories in Japan, China, the United States and Europe, the organization conducts a wide range of basic and applied research in the areas of Multimedia, Personal Systems, Networks, Peripherals, Advanced Materials and Electronic Devices. For more information, please see here. About Toray Toray, a leading diversified chemicals corporate group, has been technology-focused since its foundation in 1926. The company’s operations are underpinned by technological expertise in organic synthetic chemistry, polymer chemistry, and biochemistry- Toray’s three core technologies. These innovative technologies have yielded “advanced materials” that Toray is now exploiting to provide customers with comprehensive solutions through Fibers and Textiles, Plastics and Chemicals, IT-related Products, Housing and Engineering, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Products, New Products and Other Business divisions. In FY2003, Toray had consolidated sales of 1,089 billion yen (approx $10.298 billion), and over 32,000 employees worldwide. For further information, please check here. Ecodear* is a registered trademark of Toray Industries, Inc. All other company and product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. |
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