JR Central has developed a technology to reuse the aluminum of retired Shinkansen trains for quality that can be used for Shinkansen trains again.
In the railway industry, efforts to reuse resources to reduce the burden on the environment are widespread.
JR Tokai has developed a technology to recycle the aluminum used in the Shinkansen "700 Series" trains that retired in March last year while maintaining the strength that can be used for the Shinkansen again.
Until now, the problem was that the quality deteriorated at the stage of reuse because paint was attached and impurities such as bolts were mixed.
Therefore, we have developed a technology to maintain quality by cutting aluminum into squares of about 20 cm in length and width, removing paint and bolts, and then melting them at high temperature, and obtained a patent.
For the time being, the recycled aluminum will be used as a building material for stations and stores, and we are considering using it again for Shinkansen trains in the future.
Approximately 4 tons of aluminum can be reused from one Shinkansen train, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 97% compared to producing the same amount of aluminum.
JR East and West Japan have also started efforts to reuse aluminum for Shinkansen trains, and the railway industry is also expanding efforts to reuse resources and reduce the burden on the environment.