Space Seed Holdings Inc. Produces Graphite Using Sake Lees as Raw Material
Space Seed Holdings Inc. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Kengo Suzuki, hereinafter “the Company”) announces that, as part of the foundational verification for the development of next-generation Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) equipment in collaboration with Okayama University of Science, it has successfully produced graphite using sake lees as a test material.
Reference: Press release regarding the commencement of R&D on next-generation SPS equipment with Okayama University of Science
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000060.000140650.html
Aiming to establish new material fabrication technologies, the Company has formed a cooperative framework with Professor Yoshihisa Mori of Okayama University of Science and is progressing research and development of next-generation SPS equipment that enables pressure and precise heating control at the 10 GPa level, surpassing the performance limits of conventional SPS devices.
Prior to developing the next-generation SPS equipment, the Company conducted tests using current SPS devices with sake lees—one of the microbial-derived resources—as the test material. By sintering sake lees as a carbon resource, graphite with a certain hardness was obtained as a sintered body, and its electrical conductivity was also confirmed.
This research is conducted as part of developing advanced material conversion technologies from limited microbial-derived resources, applicable not only on Earth but also in future space environments. To realize a resource-circulating society even in space, establishing local production technologies for high-functionality materials from limited biomass resources is considered essential.
Once the next-generation SPS equipment is completed, sintering under ultra-high pressure and high-temperature conditions—impossible with conventional devices—will be possible. This advancement will enable challenges such as creating high-value-added materials like diamond derived from sake lees, in addition to graphite.
The Company will continue to strengthen collaborations with research institutes and companies, including Okayama University of Science, promoting R&D that integrates industry and cutting-edge material science. Through these efforts, it aims to contribute to innovations in global circular manufacturing and establish foundational technologies necessary for humanity’s space settlement in the 2040s.
About Space Seed Holdings Inc.
Space Seed Holdings Inc. is a space-oriented deep tech venture builder with a mission to “turn science fiction into non-fiction.” The company conducts investment, research, and business creation activities. Central to its operations is the management of the “Fermentation and Longevity Fund” program, which supports the social implementation of fermentation and longevity technologies. By 2040, Space Seed Holdings aims to collaborate with various stakeholders to develop technologies essential for human habitation in outer space.
https://ss-hd.co.jp/
