Abstract
Nomura Kohsan is a mercury recycling company that has been treating and processing various types of mercury wastes since its establishment in 1973. Each year, Nomura Kohsan treats a total of 27,000 tons of mercury waste and recovers over 50 tons of mercury from mercury waste. As a result of ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, it is expected that the demand for mercury will decrease and there will be a surplus of mercury throughout the world. With this as the backdrop, finding a long-term solution for the safe storage of mercury has become an important subject for research and development in the field of mercury management. Concerned countries, including Japan, are currently examining several disposal methods, including long-term storage and disposal.
Nomura Kohsan is working on the development of a technology that can stabilize mercury using sulfur powder to form mercury sulfide; solidifying the mercury sulfide with modified sulfur. This paper is an overview of the mercury waste treatment business undertaken by Nomura Kohsan, it also introduces the Company’s mercury stabilization and solidification technology for long-term storage and disposal.
