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8 characteristics

Prevent weeds

Weeds do not grow around the block due to the adsorption of copper ions.

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Prevent global warming

Trees trap CO2 (carbon dioxide) stored by photosynthesis to reduce atmospheric CO2.

GUD block contributes to the solution of global warming.

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Prevents the heat island phenomenon

A single block has a water retention capacity of 1 liters and removes heat of vaporization to cool the summer.

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Alleviates flooding on the road surface

Although it has water retention capacity, it is permeable and prevents urban floods where the road surface is flooded by heavy rain.

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Prevents germs

The adsorbed silver ions have a sterilizing and deodorizing effect, so keep a clean environment.

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Withstands extremely low temperatures

The block does not collapse even at extremely low temperatures.

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Has a humidity control effect

The wood chips inside regulate the humidity.

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How it works

The main component of wood is lignin. Lignin is a polymer compound in which a hydroxyl group or a methoxy group is bonded to the benzene ring, and its structure is very complicated. However, lignin has many parts that form * complexes with metal ions, such as phenol and carboxyl groups.

* Complex = A combination of other ions, atoms, molecules, and atomic groups with atoms and ions of metal elements and metal-like elements as the center.




However, the amount of heavy metal ions such as copper and silver adsorbed in the state as it is is insignificant. So we mixed wood chips and cement. When lignin contained in wood chips is placed in an alkaline environment, hydrogen ions dissociate from phenolic hydroxyl groups and adsorb a large amount of heavy metal ions.
Copper ions and silver ions are adsorbed on this. This bond is stable and will not flow.
In this way, cement, wood chips, and copper ions and silver ions work comprehensively to exert various functions.
In 2003, GUDi Chairman Itabashi received a phone call. "There is a sawmill in the village, but there is a lot of wooden trash from it. I want to use it for something, but I'd like to research it." The caller was Higashimura, Seta-gun, Gunma prefecture at the time (he is currently the superintendent of supervision of the merger in Higashi-cho, Midori City) a homeroom teacher when Itabashi was a junior high school student. There was no way he could be refused. Itabashi's specialty is analytical chemistry. Among them, he has been studying the Watarase River for a long time, which has been contaminated with copper from the Ashio Copper Mine, and he immediately came up with the idea of ​​adsorbing heavy metal ions in river water and drainage to a tree lignin to purify water quality. did. He quickly thought of a waste water crusher that could be crushed to about 1 mm to increase the surface area, and then knead in alkali to increase the amount of heavy metals adsorbed. Should he do it? Sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide cannot be used because they dissolve in water immediately and flow out. The research has once been delayed.
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Awards




December 2016, GUD block
"Gunma Innovation Award (GIA)"
Was awarded the grand prize.




You can download the PDF version of the GUD block catalog here.


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