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Niihama Research Laboratories
SMM's smelting business has its origin in opening a business for copper smelting and craftwork in Kyoto in 1590. Then, for the first time in Japan, we completed so called "Nambanbuki" technology by which noble metals can be separated and collected from copper and thereby we greatly took the lead in copper smelting business of that time.
The tradition of the technology has been observed over a few centuries. Up to this century, SMM has constantly been developing innovative technologies and has been opening up a new horizontal plane of the times earlier than anyone else in the field of mineral resources and smelting positioned as the key business. Niihama Research Laboratories are leading laboratories in the non-ferrous metal smelting business and have test facilities from the large-scale like an experimental laboratory to medium-scale and are researching and developing world-class technologies. In addition, many technologies and experiences accumulated in our smelting business have been applied to development of new materials and this has leaded to creation of next-generation materials in extensive fields such as electronics, aviation, space and telecommunication.
Analytical Technology Dept. Niihama Center
In Analytical Technology Dept. Niihama Center attached to the Research Laboratories established on the premises, research and development are strongly backed by using advanced equipment such as an electron microscope and an X-ray analysis device as evaluation technology essential for research and development for new processes and products. In this center, mineral composition, mineral grain sizes and mineral quality levels in diverse ores mined domestically and abroad are investigated and additionally our products are strictly checked and evaluated up to the quality of the products.
Scanning transmission electron microscope
Thermogvavimetry-Differential thermal analysis
