The establishment of the "Chiba Iodine Resources Innovation Center" that Chiba University and Chiba Prefecture had applied for was adopted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "Regional Science and Technology Demonstration Center Development Project" in 2016.The new center will be built in a facility on the Nishi-Chiba Campus of Chiba University in Inage Ward, Chiba City, with the aim of utilizing iodine, which is a specialty of Chiba, for regional revitalization.
Iodine is widely used in the medical field such as X-ray contrast media and disinfectants, as well as in the fields of agriculture and food, but Japan accounts for 28% of the world's production.Chiba Prefecture is the only element that can be exported overseas to Japan, and 75% of the domestic production is in Chiba Prefecture.
According to Chiba University, at the new center
■ Stable supply of lead iodide for next-generation solar cells
■ Development of organic thin film with excellent conductivity
■ New development of cancer diagnosis and treatment with radioiodine drugs
■ Development of new contrast agent synthesis method
■ Development of high-performance polymers using organic iodine compounds
-Promote higher functionality of iodine resources.
Iodine is collected from water-soluble natural gas involuntary water called brine, but it is expected that it can be collected for 600 years, and it is difficult to increase production due to environmental problems caused by pumping.In order to solve this, we will also study the improvement of iodine extraction efficiency from brackish water and the improvement of iodine recycling rate.
Iodine exported from Chiba Prefecture is a raw material for manufacturing, and overseas companies process and sell it into high value-added products based on it, and Japanese companies import overseas products.The goal is to switch from raw material exports to product exports, grow Chiba Prefecture into a base for the iodine industry, and aim for regional revitalization.
