Development of environmental testing, diagnosis, and tracer technologies and digital analysis platform for industrial applications
Principal Organization
National Institute for Materials Science
Research and Development Overview
In FY2026, activities at the NIMS SIP Lab will continue to advance data-driven research platforms and AI-assisted quality evaluation technologies for achieving highly efficient circular utilization of recycled plastics.
A major focus will be the construction of an integrated database for recycled plastics, particularly recycled polypropylene (rPP), incorporating material composition, structural analysis data, physical properties, processing history, and degradation history. Experimental datasets obtained from X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), Raman spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and related characterization techniques will be digitized and standardized to establish a cross-disciplinary materials research infrastructure.
Using this database, advanced AI and statistical modeling approaches will be developed to predict material properties of recycled plastics. The project aims to establish robust predictive models capable of handling the intrinsic heterogeneity and uncertainty of recycled materials while accurately estimating mechanical properties and processability.
In addition, the project will investigate critical factors that hinder the practical use of recycled plastics, including odor-causing compounds and chlorine-containing impurities. By integrating data science with analytical chemistry, the research aims to identify the origins of these contaminants and develop mitigation and removal strategies, ultimately contributing to digital quality control technologies for recycled materials.
The development of tracer technologies will also be promoted to enable identification and tracking of recycled material origins and histories. These technologies are expected to improve traceability and quality assurance in recycling systems and support reliable circular material flows.
Through these activities, the NIMS SIP Lab will further strengthen its data-driven materials recycling platform and contribute to the establishment of key technologies for realizing a sustainable circular economy.