The Mahalanobis-Taguchi system (MTS) is one of the multi-variate analyses which can classify data by correlations among multi-variables. The MTS has significant advantage of applying a cause analysis which provides effective variable combinations to upgrade the accuracy of the classification. In this study, droppings, which were extruded from Japanese rhinoceros beetle larva were selected to classify into male/female based on their shape-related features using the MTS. Based on the cause analysis, the projected area/Feret’s diameter (A/F) and solidity were the best variable combination which all the larval droppings were classified into male/female. Both the variable has surface roughness-related factors with size effect (A/F) without size effect (solidity). The MTS has the great ability to classify from the powders’ minor difference and will be an effective tool for particle design in the near future.

In this study, we synthesized blue-emitting new phosphors of P-doped Ca₂SiO₄:Ce³⁺ using the formula (Ca_{2−(x+y)/2−y}Ce_y□_(x+y)2)(Si_1−xP_x)O₄. The host material Ca₂SiO₄ has five polymorphs (γ, β, α, α'_L, and α'_H), and the crystal structure changes by doping of P or annealing temperatures. The relationship between the photoluminescence (PL) property and crystal structure is our focus point. The phosphors were characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption fine structure, and fluorescence spectrophotometry. Results revealed that the P-doped Ca₂SiO₄:Ce³⁺ phosphor produced a bright blue emission, with the highest photoluminescence PL values achieved when Ce content (y) = 0.04 and the annealing temperature was 1473 K.

Powder slush molding, which is one of the molding methods in automotive industries for the skin layer of instrument panels etc., has been adopted for a wide range of vehicle models, especially for luxury cars.

Recently, making various efforts to achieve carbon neutrality is considered as an important activity in automotive industries and there has been an increasing demand on slush molding materials for weight reduction of parts by higher durability, energy saving by molding at lower temperature. Furthermore, since the skin scraps produced at slush molding process are discarded currently, establishing a recycling system is our mission in terms of the circular economy.

This article describes the contribution to the automotive industries by launching “MELTEX LF” comparing conventional materials and our recent activities to achieve carbon neutrality by recycling the skin scraps.