Chemical Experiment Equipment Construction System

Abstract

To provide a chemical experiment unit group and a chemical experiment system capable of automatically constructing an experiment device and an experiment system.SOLUTION: Each of a plurality of experiment units 21 has, a function of at least one appliance of a plurality of kinds of appliances for chemical experiment. Each experiment unit 21 is formed in a three-dimensional shape, and has a coupling surface 21a formed in a standardized size, and the experiment units can be coupled mutually at the couling surfaces 21a. A base 12 can mount thereon, a lowermost experiment unit 21 out of the coupled respective experiment units 21. Operation means 13 can move each experiment unit 21 one by one. A control part 14 can control a motion of the operation means 13. The control part 14 is configured to move sequentially, a plurality of experiment units 21 by the operation means 13, couple the experiment units mutually on the base 12 and release coupling thereof, according to a procedure of the chemical experiment so as to advance desired chemical experiment.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention provides Chemical Experiment Equipment Construction System Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, when conducting a chemical experiment, the following cycle is followed: First, an idea for the experiment is conceived, details such as the experimental process and parameters are determined, and the equipment and systems for the experiment are designed. Next, the equipment and systems are constructed according to the design, and the experiment is actually carried out. After verifying the results and outcomes obtained from the experiment, consideration is made based on those results and outcomes. As a result of that consideration, new experimental ideas are obtained, and the cycle is repeated with new experiments.

[0003] In such a cycle of chemical experiments, automation has traditionally been advanced in some steps, for example, using computers and AI (artificial intelligence) to automatically set up the details of the experiment, design the experimental equipment and system, and provide feedback based on the experimental results and outcomes (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). Furthermore, the execution of the experiment and the verification of the experimental results and outcomes are automatically performed by so-called automation (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 2 and 3), and in recent years, automation incorporating computers and AI (artificial intelligence) has been progressing (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 4 and 5). [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] Segler, MHS, Preuss, M. and Waller, MP, “Planning chemical synthesis with deep neural networks and symbolic AI”, Nature, 2018, 555, p.604, doi:10.1038 / nature25978 [Non-patent document 2] Olsen, K., “The First 110 Years of Laboratory Automation:Technologies, Applications, and the Creative Scientist”, Journal of Laboratory Automation, 2012, 17, p.469-480, doi:10.1177 / 2211068212455631 [Non-patent document 3] Boyd, J., “Robotic Laboratory Automation”, Science,2002, 295, p.517-518, doi:10.1126 / science.295.5554.517 [Non-patent document 4] Jaroslaw M. Granda, Liva Donina, Vincenza Dragone, De-Liang Long and Leroy Cronin, “Controlling an organic synthesis robot with machine learning to search for new reactivity”, Nature, 19 July 2018, Vol. 559, p.377-381 [Non-patent document 5] Piotr S. Gromski, Jaroslaw M. Granda, and Leroy Cronin, “Universal Chemical Synthesis and Discovery with 'The Chemputer'”, Trends in Chemistry, 2020, 2(1), p.4-12 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As described in Non-Patent Documents 1 to 5, although automation has progressed in several steps in the chemical experiment cycle, there has been a problem in that automation has not progressed in the steps of constructing experimental equipment and experimental systems.

[0006] The present invention has been made in response to these problems, and is capable of automatically constructing experimental equipment and systems. Chemical Experiment Equipment Construction System The purpose is to provide the following. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The inventors investigated the reasons why the process of constructing experimental equipment and systems has not been automated and discovered that this is due to the use of traditional chemical laboratory instruments and equipment. Most of these instruments and equipment were invented more than 200 years ago and are easy to handle by hand, such as transparent glassware, easy-to-hold flasks and beakers, stable and unshakeable equipment, fixed equipment, and easy-to-connect flexible wires and cables. However, it is extremely difficult to automatically construct experimental equipment and systems using these instruments and equipment.

[0008] Therefore, in order to automatically construct experimental equipment and systems, the inventors have designed newly designed experimental units that have the functions of traditional chemical experiment tools and devices, and have come up with a system that can assemble multiple experimental units and construct various experimental equipment and systems by simple robot operation. Furthermore, when designing the newly designed experimental units, they have made them easier to operate by robots or machines than by hand, and have decided to simplify and modularize all experimental units as much as possible.

[0009] An example of a new experimental unit is shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1(a) and (b), a flask is traditionally made of glass and has a spherical shell shape with a cylindrical opening at the top. However, to facilitate handling by robots and machines, a traditionally shaped cavity is formed inside a cube. As shown in Figures 1(c) and (d), an electric wire is traditionally flexible, but to facilitate handling by robots and machines, it is embedded inside a cube. As shown in Figures 1(e) and (f), a tube is traditionally elongated, but to facilitate handling by robots and machines, it is embedded inside a cube. Furthermore, these do not need to be made of glass, vinyl, rubber, etc., and since they can be handled by robots and machines, they do not need to be lightweight or transparent, so they can be manufactured from materials other than traditional ones.

[0010] An example of a system for constructing an experimental device or system using these experimental units is shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2(c), conventionally, experimental devices were constructed by combining multiple traditional instruments, but as shown in Figure 2(b), new experimental units (A-D) that have the functions of each instrument are prepared, and as shown in Figure 2(a), an experimental device is constructed by automatically stacking these experimental units on a base (platform) or the like using a computer or AI to operate a robotic arm or the like.

[0011] In other words, the chemical experiment unit group of the present invention has a plurality of experiment units, each of which has the function of at least one of a plurality of types of chemical experiment equipment, and each experiment unit has a three-dimensional shape, one or more connecting surfaces of standardized size, and is configured so that the connecting surfaces can be connected to each other, and by connecting or disconnecting two or more of the experiment units to each other according to the procedure of the desired chemical experiment, each experiment unit can perform its respective function and the chemical experiment can proceed.

[0012] In the group of chemical experiment units according to the present invention, each experiment unit has a connecting surface of a standardized size, allowing the units to be easily connected and disconnected to each other via the connecting surfaces. Furthermore, each experiment unit has the function of at least one of a plurality of types of chemical experiment equipment, and can fulfill its respective function by connecting and disconnecting the units to each other. Therefore, by automatically connecting and disconnecting multiple experiment units to each other using a robot, machine, etc., according to the procedure of the desired chemical experiment, an experiment apparatus or experiment system can be automatically constructed, and the chemical experiment can be performed.

[0013] Each experimental unit preferably has a three-dimensional shape suitable for movement and manipulation by a robot or machine, such as a robot arm, and is particularly preferably a modular three-dimensional shape, i.e., a standardized shape and size. It is also preferable for each experimental unit to have a simplified three-dimensional shape, such as a cube, cylinder, or rectangular parallelepiped. Each experimental unit may be made of any material as long as it is capable of performing the desired chemical experiment. It may be of any weight as long as it can be manipulated by a robot or machine, and does not need to be particularly lightweight. It may be transparent or not.

[0014] Each experimental unit has functions such as containers (bottles, tanks, flasks, etc.); connectors (wires, cables, tubes, etc.); small items (stands, clamps, stabilizers, lids, spoons, etc.); functions such as supplying reactants, collecting products, washing, filtering, evaporating, drying, heating, cooling, pressurizing / depressurizing, ultrasonicating, grinding, stirring, and maintaining a specific atmosphere; and monitors and sensors that can acquire and measure parameters such as quantity, temperature, pressure, time, flow rate, electronic frequency, current, conductivity, viscosity, pH value, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) value, and volume.

[0015] The chemical experiment unit group according to the present invention is preferably configured so that each experiment unit has all the functions of multiple types of chemical experiment equipment required to perform a desired chemical experiment. In this case, the desired chemical experiment can be performed by using each experiment unit. It is also preferable that each experiment unit has all the functions required to perform multiple chemical experiments.

[0016] In the group of chemical experiment units according to the present invention, each experiment unit may have a connecting surface on its upper surface and a connecting surface on its lower surface, and may be connectable in the vertical direction. Also, each experiment unit may have a connecting surface on its side surface, allowing it to be connectable in the horizontal direction.

[0017] In the group of chemical experiment units according to the present invention, each experiment unit preferably has a connecting means for detachably connecting to each other in a constant positional relationship. In this case, accurate transfer of substances between the connected experiment units can be achieved. Furthermore, since each experiment unit can be connected in a constant positional relationship, experiments can be repeatedly performed under the same conditions, thereby improving the reliability of the experiments. The connecting means may be any means capable of detachably connecting each experiment unit to each other in a constant positional relationship, and may be, for example, an electromagnet. Furthermore, the connecting means may be provided on the connecting surface, or on the edge of the connecting surface or on a surface in contact with the connecting surface.

[0018] Chemical experiments according to the present invention Device construction The system comprises a group of chemical experimental units according to the present invention, a base for placing the lowest experimental unit among the connected experimental units, an operating means for moving each experimental unit one by one, and a control unit for controlling the movement of the operating means, and is characterized in that the control unit is configured to use the operating means to move several of the experimental units in sequence, and to connect or disconnect them to each other on the base according to the procedure of the chemical experiment so that the desired chemical experiment can proceed.

[0019] Chemical experiments according to the present invention Device construction The system uses the control unit to control the movement of the operating means according to each chemical experiment, and various experimental devices and systems can be automatically constructed on the base using each experimental unit, allowing chemical experiments to be performed. Device construction In the system, the operating means may be any device capable of operating each experimental unit, such as a robot arm or other robot or machine. The control unit may be any device capable of controlling the movement of the operating means, such as a computer with built-in AI. If the control unit is comprised of a computer with built-in AI, it may be configured to use operational data from each chemical experiment to improve the control algorithm. Because the technology for robotic arms and AI control is relatively mature, the operating means and control unit may be commercially available.

[0020] Chemical experiments according to the present invention Device construction In the system, it is preferable that each experimental unit has a connecting means for detachably connecting to each other in the same positional relationship at all times, and that the base has a fixing means for detachably fixing the connecting means of the lowest experimental unit. In this case, by fixing the lowest experimental unit with the fixing means, an experimental apparatus or experimental system can be constructed stably on the base.

[0021] In this case, the connecting means and the fixing means may be electromagnets, each experimental unit having an electrical terminal connected to the connecting means on its connecting surface, such that when the units are connected to each other via the connecting means, the electrical terminals are connected to each other, and the base has an electrical supply terminal connected to a power source, such that when the fixing means fixes the connecting means of the lowest experimental unit, the electrical terminal on the connecting surface on the underside of the lowest experimental unit is connected to the electrical supply terminal. By supplying power from the electrical supply terminal to the connecting means of each experimental unit via the electrical terminals, the connecting means of each experimental unit is operated to attach the lowest experimental unit to the base and to attach the connected experimental units to each other. In this case, the lowest experimental unit can be firmly fixed on the base. Furthermore, the connected experimental units can also be firmly connected to each other by adsorbing them. Furthermore, by stopping the supply of power from the electrical supply terminals, the connected experimental units can be easily removed, and the lowest experimental unit can be easily removed from the base. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to the present invention, experimental equipment and systems can be automatically constructed. Chemical Experiment Equipment Construction System can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows examples of experimental units in the chemical experimental unit group according to the present invention, including (a) a conventional flask, (b) a flask experimental unit, (c) a conventional electric line, (d) an electric line experimental unit, (e) a conventional tube, and (f) a tube experimental unit. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 shows an example of a chemical experiment system according to the present invention, in which (a) an oblique view of the experimental apparatus in its constructed state, (b) a front view of each experimental unit, and (c) a front view of conventional experimental equipment corresponding to each experimental unit shown in (b) and an experimental apparatus in which these experimental equipment are assembled. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view showing a chemical experiment system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an experiment unit is placed on a base in a chemical experiment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing (a) a powder supply container unit (SCEU 001), (b) a liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002), (c) a connector unit (SCEU 003), (d) a flask unit (SCEU 004), (e) a vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005), (f) an electronic balance unit (SCEU 006), (g) a reflux cooling unit (SCEU 007), and (h) a connector unit with a pressure sensor (SCEU 008) of a group of chemical experiment units according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are perspective views showing the use of a heating unit and a pressurizing unit of a chemical experiment unit group according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] (a) and (b) are flow diagrams showing the steps of a conventional acid leaching experiment of LiCoO2. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the steps of (a) putting an HCl aqueous solution into a liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002), (b) adding pure water to the liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002), (c) putting LiCoO into a flask unit (SCEU 004), (d) adding the HCl aqueous solution of (b) to the flask unit (SCEU 004), and (e) separating the contents of the flask unit (SCEU 004) into a solid product and a liquid product in a vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005), when an acid leaching experiment of LiCoO shown in FIG. 7 is carried out using a chemical experiment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram showing the sequence of operations of each experimental unit in the LiCoO2 acid leaching experiment shown in FIG. [Figure 10] (a) and (b) are flow diagrams showing the experimental steps for synthesizing two types of conventional organic compounds using catalysts. [Figure 11]10 is a perspective view showing the steps of (a) placing a catalyst into a flask unit (SCEU 004), (b) adding organic substance B to the flask unit (SCEU 004), (c) adding organic substance A to the flask unit (SCEU 004), (d) adding a solvent to the flask unit (SCEU 004), (e) performing reduction cooling using a reflux cooling unit (SCEU 007) while stirring the inside of the flask unit (SCEU 004), and (f) separating the contents of the flask unit (SCEU 004) into a solid product and a liquid product using a vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005), when an organic synthesis experiment shown in FIG. 10 is performed using a chemical experiment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] (a) and (b) are flow diagrams showing the experimental steps for the conventional hydrothermal synthesis of two types of inorganic substances. [Figure 13] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the steps of (a) placing inorganic substance A into a flask unit (SCEU 004), (b) adding inorganic substance B to the flask unit (SCEU 004), (c) adding water to the flask unit (SCEU 004), (d) pressurizing the flask unit (SCEU 004) with a pressure unit while stirring the inside of the flask unit (SCEU 004), and (e) separating the contents of the flask unit (SCEU 004) into a solid product and a liquid product in a vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005), when conducting a hydrothermal synthesis experiment of an inorganic substance shown in FIG. 12 using a chemical experiment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 3 to 13 show a group of chemical experiment units and a chemical experiment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the chemical experiment system 10 includes a group of chemical experiment units 11, a base 12, an operation means 13, and a control unit 14.

[0025] The chemical experiment unit group 11 is made up of a plurality of experiment units 21. Each experiment unit 21 has the function of at least one of a plurality of types of chemical experiment equipment. The chemical experiment unit group 11 is configured so that each experiment unit 21 includes all the functions of a plurality of types of chemical experiment equipment required to perform a desired chemical experiment.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 4, each experimental unit 21 has a three-dimensional shape, one or more connecting surfaces 21a of standardized size, and is provided so that the connecting surfaces 21a can be connected to each other. In the specific example shown in Fig. 4, each experimental unit 21 has a cubic shape, a rectangular parallelepiped shape, or a thin square plate shape, with the upper and lower surfaces being squares of the same size. Furthermore, each experimental unit 21 has connecting surfaces 21a on its upper and lower surfaces, and is provided so that the experimental units 21 can be connected to each other in the vertical direction.

[0027] Each experimental unit 21 is not limited to a cube or rectangular parallelepiped, as long as it has a modular three-dimensional shape, i.e., a standardized shape and size. For example, it may be a cylinder with equal-sized circles on the top and bottom, or another three-dimensional shape. Each experimental unit 21 may have a connecting surface 21a on its side so that it can be connected laterally. Each experimental unit 21 may be made of any material as long as it is capable of performing the desired chemical experiment. It may be of any weight as long as it can be operated by the operating means 13, and does not need to be particularly lightweight. It may be transparent or not. As shown in FIG. 1, each experimental unit 21 is preferably arranged in advance in a predetermined location, such as beside the base 12.

[0028] Each experimental unit 21 has an electromagnet 21b as a coupling means, and when coupled to each other via the coupling surfaces 21a, they can be detachably coupled to each other in the same positional relationship. In a specific example shown in FIG. 4, each experimental unit 21 has electromagnets 21b at two diagonal positions on one pair of coupling surfaces 21a. Each experimental unit 21 also has electrical terminals 21c on the coupling surfaces 21a connected to the electromagnets 21b, and is configured to operate the electromagnets 21b with power supplied through the electrical terminals 21c. When the experimental units 21 are coupled to each other in the same positional relationship via their coupling surfaces 21a, the electrical terminals 21c are also configured to be connected to each other. In a specific example shown in FIG. 4, each experimental unit 21 has electrical terminals 21c at two diagonal positions on the other pair of coupling surfaces 21a where no electromagnets 21b are provided. As a result, when the experimental units 21 are connected to each other via their connecting surfaces 21a, the electromagnets 21b are activated by power supplied through the electrical terminals 21c, and the experimental units 21 are firmly connected by attracting each other. Furthermore, the experimental units 21 are configured to be easily detachable from each other by stopping the supply of electricity to the electromagnets 21b.

[0029] Each experimental unit 21 has, on a pair of parallel side surfaces, an electromagnet 21d for use with the operating means 13 and an electric terminal 21e connected to the electromagnet 21d. The electromagnet 21d is configured to operate with power supplied through the electric terminal 21e.

[0030] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the base 12 has a flat mounting surface 22a, and is configured so that each experiment unit 21 can be placed on the mounting surface 22a. When the experiment units 21 are connected to each other, the base 12 is configured to mount and secure the lowest experiment unit 21. In a specific example shown in Figure 4, the base 12 has, on the mounting surface 22a, two electromagnets 22b and two electrical supply terminals 22c of the fixing means, in the same arrangement as the two electromagnets 21b and two electrical terminals 21c on the connecting surface 21a of each experiment unit 21. Each electrical supply terminal 22c is connected to a power source.

[0031] When the experimental unit 21 is placed on the mounting surface 22a, the base 12 is configured so that the electromagnets 21b and electrical terminals 21c on the connecting surface 21a of the experimental unit 21 are aligned with the electromagnets 22b and electrical supply terminals 22c on the mounting surface 22a, respectively, and power is supplied from the electrical supply terminals 22c through the electrical terminals 21c, activating the electromagnets 21b of the experimental unit 21 and firmly attaching the experimental unit 21 to the electromagnets 22b on the mounting surface 22a. This firmly fixes the experimental unit 21 to the mounting surface 22a. Furthermore, power is supplied to each of the experimental units 21 connected in sequence to the lowest experimental unit 21 through the electrical terminals 21c, activating the electromagnets 21b of each experimental unit 21, and firmly attaching the experimental unit 21 to each other. The base 12 is configured so that each connected experimental unit 21 can be easily removed by stopping the supply of power from each electrical supply terminal 22c, and the lowest experimental unit 21 can be easily removed from the mounting surface 22a.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3 , the operating means 13 is composed of a commercially available robot arm. The operating means 13 has an electromagnet and an electrical supply terminal built into the tip 13a of the arm, which correspond to the electromagnet 21d and electrical terminal 21e on the side of each experiment unit 21. By aligning the tip 13a of the arm with the side of the experiment unit 21, the operating means 13 can supply power through the electrical terminal 21e and attract the electromagnet 21d. This allows the operating means 13 to fix the experiment units 21 to the tip 13a of the arm and move them one by one. The operating means 13 is also configured to remove the experiment units 21 from the tip 13a of the arm by stopping the power supply. In this way, the operating means 13 can move the experiment units 21 to a desired position. The operating means 13 is configured not only to move each experiment unit 21, but also to perform various operations on each experiment unit 21.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 14 is made up of a commercially available computer with built-in AI (artificial intelligence), and is connected to the operation means 13 to control the movement of the operation means 13. This allows the control unit 14 to control not only the movement of each experiment unit 21 but also various movements of the operation means 13. The control unit 14 is also configured to control the supply of power from each electric supply terminal 22c of the base 12. This allows the control unit 14 to control not only the operation of the electromagnet 21b but also various operations built into each experiment unit 21 to perform the functions of each experiment unit 21.

[0034] The control unit 14 controls the operation means 13 and the supply of power according to the procedure of the chemical experiment so that the desired chemical experiment can proceed, and moves multiple of the experiment units 21 in order, connecting and disconnecting them to each other on the base 12. The control unit 14 is also capable of controlling other necessary operations according to the procedure of the chemical experiment. In this way, the chemical experiment system 10 is configured so that each experiment unit 21 performs its respective function to progress the chemical experiment. The control unit 14 is also configured to improve the control algorithm each time a chemical experiment is conducted, using operation data from that experiment.

[0035] Next, the operation will be described. In the chemical experiment system 10, each experiment unit 21 has a connecting surface 21a of a standardized size, allowing the units to be easily connected and disconnected to each other via the connecting surfaces 21a. Furthermore, each experiment unit 21 has the function of at least one of multiple types of chemical experiment equipment, and can fulfill its respective function by connecting and disconnecting to each other. Therefore, in the chemical experiment system 10, by controlling the movement and power supply of the operating means 13 with the control unit 14 according to the procedure of each chemical experiment, the operating means 13 can be used to automatically connect and disconnect multiple experiment units 21 to each other, thereby automatically constructing various experimental apparatuses and experimental systems on the base 12. This also allows desired chemical experiments to be performed.

[0036] In the chemical experiment system 10, the electromagnets 21b of the connection means allow each experiment unit 21 to be detachably connected to one another in the same positional relationship at all times, enabling accurate exchange of substances between the connected experiment units 21. Furthermore, experiments can be performed repeatedly under the same conditions, improving the reliability of the experiments. [Example]

[0037] [Experimental Unit] Each experimental unit 21 included in the chemical experimental unit group 11 may be any unit that has the function used in chemical experiments, such as a container such as a bottle, tank, or flask; a connector such as an electric wire, cable, or tube; a small item such as a stand, clamp, stabilizer, lid, or spoon; a unit that has the function of supplying reactants, collecting products, washing, filtering, evaporating, drying, heating, cooling, pressurizing / decompressing, ultrasonic treatment, grinding, stirring, or maintaining a specific atmosphere; or a monitor or sensor that can acquire or measure parameters such as quantity, temperature, pressure, time, flow rate, electronic frequency, current, conductivity, viscosity, pH value, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) value, and volume.

[0038] As a more specific example, as shown in FIG. 5, the experimental units 21 include a powder supply container unit (SCEU 001), a liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002), a connector unit (SCEU 003), a flask unit (SCEU 004), a vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005), an electronic balance unit (SCEU 006), a reflux cooling unit (SCEU 007), and a connector unit with a pressure sensor (SCEU 008), each of which has a square connecting surface 21a of the same size on its upper and lower surfaces. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the experimental units 21 include a heating unit 39 and a pressurizing unit 40. These experimental units 21 are made of resin and are manufactured using a 3D printer.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 5(a), the powder supply container unit (SCEU 001) is substantially cubic in shape and has the function of storing powdered solid materials used in chemical experiments. The powder supply container unit (SCEU 001) has a storage chamber 31a for storing the powdered solid material, a supply port 31b provided at the top of the storage chamber 31a to supply the solid material to the storage chamber, and a discharge port 31c provided at the bottom of the storage chamber 31a to discharge the solid material from the storage chamber 31a. The powder supply container unit (SCEU 001) also has an upper valve provided at the supply port 31b and a lower valve provided at the discharge port 31c. The upper and lower valves are normally closed and can be opened and closed by electrical signals from the base 12.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 5(b), the liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) is substantially cubic in shape and has the function of storing liquid substances used in chemical experiments. The liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) has a storage chamber 32a for storing the liquid substance, a supply port 32b provided at the top of the storage chamber 32a to supply the liquid to the storage chamber 32a, and a discharge port 32c provided at the bottom of the storage chamber 32a to discharge the liquid from the storage chamber 32a. The liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) also has an upper valve provided at the supply port 32b and a lower valve provided at the discharge port 32c. The upper and lower valves are normally closed and can be opened and closed by electrical signals from the base 12.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 5(d), the flask unit (SCEU 004) has a substantially cubic shape and functions to perform distillation, stirring, and the like. The flask unit (SCEU 004) has a storage chamber 34a for storing liquid or solid substances and a supply port 34b provided at the top of the storage chamber 34a to supply the substance to the storage chamber 34a. The flask unit (SCEU 004) also has an upper valve provided at the supply port 34b and a rotor 34c provided at the bottom of the storage chamber 34a. The upper valve is normally closed and can be opened and closed in response to an electrical signal from the base 12. The rotor 34c can be rotated in response to an electrical signal from the base 12 to stir the substance inside the storage chamber 34a.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 5(e), the vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) is substantially cubic in shape and has the function of performing vacuum filtration. The vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) includes a storage chamber 35a for storing a substance, a basket 35b detachably attached to the top of the storage chamber 35a and surrounded by a filter membrane, and a supply port 35c attached to the top of the basket 35b for supplying the substance. The vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) also includes an upper valve attached to the supply port 35c and an air outlet 35d attached to the side of the storage chamber 35a. The upper valve is normally closed and can be opened and closed in response to an electrical signal from the base 12. The air outlet 35d is connectable to a vacuum pump to remove air from the storage chamber 35a and create a vacuum or low-pressure state.

[0043] The upper and lower valves of the powder supply container unit (SCEU 001), liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002), flask unit (SCEU 004), and vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) may be opened in any manner, such as opening from one end to the other, opening in a vertical lattice pattern, or opening from the center to the periphery.

[0044] 5(c), the connector unit (SCEU 003) is a thin, square plate with a circular hole 33a in the center with tapered sides. When connecting the powder supply container unit (SCEU 001), the liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002), the flask unit (SCEU 004), the vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005), and the like, the connector unit (SCEU 003) is configured such that the larger-diameter connecting surface 21a is on the side of the discharge ports 31c and 32c and the smaller-diameter connecting surface 21a is on the side of the supply ports 31b, 32b, 34b, and 35c, and the material to be transferred is smoothly discharged from the discharge ports 31c and 32c and supplied to the supply ports 31b, 32b, 34b, and 35c.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 5(f), the electronic balance unit (SCEU 006) is a thin, square plate with a circular mounting portion 36a in the center. The electronic balance unit (SCEU 006) has a function of measuring the mass of a substance placed on the mounting portion 36a.

[0046] 5(g), the reflux cooling unit (SCEU 007) has a vertically elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape and has the function of cooling and condensing the solvent vapor and returning it to a liquid. The reflux cooling unit (SCEU 007) has a hollow cooling chamber 37a, a lower opening 37b provided at the bottom of the cooling chamber 37a, an upper opening 37c provided at the top of the cooling chamber 37a, a lid 37d for the upper opening 37c, and cooling blades 37e extending spirally in the vertical direction along the inner wall of the cooling chamber 37a.

[0047] As shown in Figure 5(h), the connector unit with pressure sensor (SCEU 008) is a thin square plate with a circular hole 38a in the center with tapered sides. The connector unit with pressure sensor (SCEU 008) is mainly placed on top of the flask unit (SCEU 004) and is configured to be able to measure the pressure in the storage chamber 34a of the flask unit (SCEU 004).

[0048] As shown in FIG. 6(a), the heating unit 39 has a function of heating polar solvents such as water. The heating unit 39 mainly includes a storage hole 39a configured to store the flask unit (SCEU 004) and a heating means configured to heat the flask unit (SCEU 004) stored in the storage hole 39a from the surrounding area using electromagnetic waves. Alternatively, instead of using the heating unit 39, the inner wall of the storage section 34a for the flask unit (SCEU 004) may be made of iron, allowing heating by thermal conduction. In this case, non-polar solvents such as toluene can also be heated.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 6(b), the pressurizing unit 40 has a thin, square plate shape, and both sides form connecting surfaces 21a. The pressurizing unit 40 has a pressing portion 40a in the center that protrudes toward one connecting surface 21a. The pressing portion 40a is provided so as to be able to move back and forth along the thickness direction and to protrude toward the other connecting surface 21a. The pressurizing unit 40 is placed on the flask unit (SCEU 004) either alone or via a pressure sensor-equipped connector unit (SCEU 008) with the other connecting surface 21a facing the flask unit (SCEU 004). The pressurizing portion 40a can be pushed toward the flask unit (SCEU 004) using the operating means 13 to pressurize the inside of the storage chamber 34a of the flask unit (SCEU 004).

[0050] [Chemical experiment simulation] Below, a simulation was carried out assuming that several chemical experiments were carried out using the chemical experiment system 10 shown in FIG. 3 and each experiment unit 21 shown in FIG.

[0051] [Experiment 1: Acid leaching experiment of LiCoO2] We conducted a simulation of an experiment in which LiCoO2, a substance used in lithium-ion batteries, was acid-leached using HCl as a leaching agent. The conventional process for this experiment is shown in Figure 7. In the conventional process, as shown in Figure 7(a), a predetermined amount of highly concentrated HCl aqueous solution 51 is mixed with a predetermined amount of pure water 52 to prepare an HCl aqueous solution 53 of the desired concentration. Next, powdered LiCoO2 is added to the HCl aqueous solution 53 and stirred for a predetermined time using a magnetic stirrer 54 or similar. After stirring, the mixture is filtered through a vacuum filter 55 to separate it into solid 56 and liquid 57, as shown in Figure 7(b). This results in an acid leaching solution containing Li ions and Co ions as the liquid portion.

[0052] The experiment shown in Fig. 7 is carried out using the chemical experiment system 10 shown in Fig. 3. Here, the powder supply container unit (SCEU 001), liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002), connector unit (SCEU 003), flask unit (SCEU 004), vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005), and electronic balance unit (SCEU 006) shown in Fig. 5 are used as the experiment units 21 of the chemical experiment unit group 11.

[0053] First, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) is placed on the base 12 by the operating means 13, and then another liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) containing a high-concentration HCl aqueous solution is placed on top of that, and a predetermined amount of HCl aqueous solution is poured into the lower liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002). Next, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) containing the high-concentration HCl aqueous solution is removed by the operating means 13, and instead a liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) containing pure water is placed, and a predetermined amount of pure water is poured into the lower liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002). As a result, the high-concentration HCl aqueous solution and pure water are mixed in the lower liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002), and an HCl aqueous solution of the desired concentration can be prepared.

[0054] Next, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the operation means 13 is used to place the flask unit (SCEU 004) on the base 12, and then the powder supply container unit (SCEU 001) containing powdered LiCoO2 is placed on top of the flask unit (SCEU 004) via the connector unit (SCEU 003), and a predetermined amount of LiCoO2 is poured into the flask unit (SCEU 004). Next, as shown in FIG. 8(d), the operation means 13 is used to remove the powder supply container unit (SCEU 001), and instead, the liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) containing the HCl aqueous solution of the desired concentration prepared in FIG. 8(b) is placed, and a predetermined amount of the HCl aqueous solution is poured into the lower flask unit (SCEU 004). This causes the HCl aqueous solution to be added to the powdered LiCoO2 in the lower flask unit (SCEU 004).

[0055] Next, the upper liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) is removed using the operating means 13, and the rotor of the lower flask unit (SCEU 004) is rotated to stir for a predetermined time. Next, as shown in FIG. 8(e), the vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) is placed on the base 12 using the operating means 13, and the flask unit (SCEU 004) after stirring is placed upside down on top of it via the connector unit (SCEU 003). This causes vacuum filtration to separate the solid product inside the basket of the vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) from the liquid product inside the storage chamber. The liquid portion obtained in this way is the acid leaching solution containing Li ions and Co ions. Finally, the solids inside the basket of the vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) are transferred to the electronic balance unit (SCEU 006), and the liquid inside the storage chamber of the vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) is transferred to a new liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002).

[0056] The flow of the movements of each of the above-mentioned experimental units 21 is shown in Figure 9. In Figure 9, each experimental unit 21 is indicated by its respective number (SCEU number), and the progress of the experiment is shown from left to right in the figure. The chemical experiment system 10 can automatically carry out an experiment by using the control unit 14 to control the order in which each experimental unit 21 is moved by the operation means 13, the timing of the movements, the timing of various operations, etc., according to the flow shown in Figure 9.

[0057] [Experiment 2: Catalytic synthesis of organic compounds] We conducted a simulation of an experiment to synthesize two types of organic compounds using a catalyst. The conventional process for this experiment is shown in Figure 10. In the conventional process, as shown in Figure 10(a), a predetermined amount of liquid organic compound A, a predetermined amount of solid organic compound B, a predetermined amount of solvent, and a predetermined amount of catalyst are first mixed in a flask 61, and the mixture is stirred for a predetermined time under predetermined temperature conditions using a stirrer 62 or the like. During this process, a cooling tube 63 is attached to the flask 61 to reflux the solvent. The mixture is stirred while measuring the temperature using a thermocouple 64 or the like to maintain the predetermined temperature. After stirring, as shown in Figure 10(b), the cooling tube 63 and thermocouple 64 are removed, and the mixture is filtered using a vacuum filter 65 to separate it into a solid 66 and a liquid 67. In this way, the synthesized liquid organic compound and solid organic compound are obtained.

[0058] The experiment shown in Fig. 10 is carried out using the chemical experiment system 10 shown in Fig. 3. Here, the powder supply container unit (SCEU 001), liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002), connector unit (SCEU 003), flask unit (SCEU 004), vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005), electronic balance unit (SCEU 006), and reflux cooling unit (SCEU 007) shown in Fig. 5 are used as the experiment units 21 of the chemical experiment unit group 11.

[0059] 11(a), the flask unit (SCEU 004) is placed on the base 12 by the operation means 13, and then the powder supply container unit (SCEU 001) containing the powder catalyst is placed on top of the flask unit (SCEU 004) via the connector unit (SCEU 003), and a predetermined amount of the catalyst is placed in the lower flask unit (SCEU 004). Next, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the powder supply container unit (SCEU 001) containing the catalyst is removed by the operation means 13, and instead the powder supply container unit (SCEU 001) containing the solid organic material B is placed, and a predetermined amount of the organic material B is placed in the lower flask unit (SCEU 004).

[0060] 11(c), the operation means 13 is used to remove the powder supply container unit (SCEU 001) containing organic substance B, and instead a liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) containing liquid organic substance A is placed on top, and a predetermined amount of organic substance A is placed in the lower flask unit (SCEU 004). Similarly, as shown in FIG. 11(d), the operation means 13 is used to remove the liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) containing organic substance A, and instead a liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) containing a solvent is placed on top, and a predetermined amount of solvent is placed in the lower flask unit (SCEU 004). As a result, organic substance A, organic substance B, the solvent, and the catalyst are mixed in the lower flask unit (SCEU 004).

[0061] Next, as shown in FIG. 11(e), the upper liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) is removed using the operating device 13, and a reflux cooling unit (SCEU 007) is placed in its place. The rotor of the lower flask unit (SCEU 004) is rotated to stir the mixture at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time. After stirring, the reflux cooling unit (SCEU 007) is removed using the operating device 13. Next, as shown in FIG. 11(f), the vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) is placed on the base 12 using the operating device 13, and the flask unit (SCEU 004) after stirring is placed upside down on top of it via the connector unit (SCEU 003). This causes vacuum filtration to separate the mixture into a solid product inside the basket of the vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) and a liquid product inside the storage chamber. In this way, the synthesized liquid organic matter and solid organic matter are obtained. Finally, the solids inside the basket of the vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) are transferred to the electronic balance unit (SCEU 006), and the liquid inside the storage chamber of the vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) is transferred to a new liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002).

[0062] [Experiment 3: Hydrothermal synthesis of inorganic compounds] A simulation was conducted for an experiment to hydrothermally synthesize two types of inorganic substances. The conventional process for this experiment is shown in Figure 12. In the conventional process, first, as shown in Figure 12(a), a predetermined amount of solid inorganic substance A, a predetermined amount of liquid inorganic substance B, and a predetermined amount of water are placed in an autoclave 71 and reacted for a predetermined time under predetermined pressure and temperature conditions while stirring. After the reaction, as shown in Figure 12(b), the mixture is filtered using a vacuum filter 72 to separate it into solid 73 and liquid 74. In this way, hydrothermally synthesized liquid inorganic substance and solid inorganic substance are obtained.

[0063] The experiment shown in Fig. 12 is carried out using the chemical experiment system 10 shown in Fig. 3. Here, the experimental units 21 of the chemical experiment unit group 11 used are the powder supply container unit (SCEU 001), liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002), connector unit (SCEU 003), flask unit (SCEU 004), vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005), electronic balance unit (SCEU 006), connector unit with pressure sensor (SCEU 008), and pressurization unit 40 shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

[0064] First, as shown in Figure 13(a), the flask unit (SCEU 004) is placed on the base 12 by the operation means 13, and then the powder supply container unit (SCEU 001) containing powdered inorganic substance A is placed on top of it via the connector unit (SCEU 003), and a predetermined amount of inorganic substance A is placed in the lower flask unit (SCEU 004). Next, as shown in Figure 13(b), the powder supply container unit (SCEU 001) containing inorganic substance A is removed by the operation means 13, and instead a liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) containing liquid inorganic substance B is placed, and a predetermined amount of inorganic substance B is placed in the lower flask unit (SCEU 004).

[0065] 13(c), the liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) containing inorganic substance B is removed by the operating means 13, and instead a liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) containing water is placed on top, and a predetermined amount of water is poured into the lower flask unit (SCEU 004). As a result, inorganic substance A, inorganic substance B, and water are mixed in the lower flask unit (SCEU 004).

[0066] Next, as shown in Figure 13(d), the upper liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002) is removed using the operating means 13, and in its place, the pressurizing unit 40 is placed via the connector unit with pressure sensor (SCEU 008). While the rotor of the lower flask unit (SCEU 004) is rotating, the pressurizing unit 40 is operated using the operating means 13 to increase the pressure inside the flask unit (SCEU 004), and a reaction is carried out for a predetermined time under predetermined pressure and temperature conditions. At this time, the pressure inside the flask unit (SCEU 004) is adjusted by the control unit 14, controlling the operating means 13 using the value measured by the pressure sensor in the connector unit with pressure sensor (SCEU 008).

[0067] Next, as shown in FIG. 13(e), the vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) is placed on the base 12 using the operating means 13, and the post-reaction flask unit (SCEU 004) is then placed upside down on top of it via the connector unit (SCEU 003). This causes vacuum filtration to separate the solid product inside the basket of the vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) from the liquid product inside the storage chamber. In this way, the hydrothermally synthesized liquid inorganic substance and solid inorganic substance are obtained. Finally, the solid product inside the basket of the vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) is transferred to the electronic balance unit (SCEU 006), and the liquid inside the storage chamber of the vacuum filtration unit (SCEU 005) is transferred to a new liquid supply container unit (SCEU 002). [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 10 Chemistry Experiment System 11 Chemistry Experiment Units 21 Experimental Unit 21a Connecting surface 21b, 21d electromagnet 21c, 21e Electrical terminals 12 Foundation 22a Placement surface 22b electromagnet 22c Electrical supply terminal 13 Operating means 13a End of arm 14 Control Unit

Claims

1. a chemical experiment unit group having a plurality of experiment units each having the function of at least one of a plurality of types of chemical experiment equipment, each experiment unit having a three-dimensional shape and one or more connecting surfaces of a standardized size, and being arranged so that the connecting surfaces can be connected to each other, and a plurality of the experiment units can be connected to each other or disconnected from each other according to the procedure of a desired chemical experiment; a base on which the lowest experiment unit of the connected experiment units is placed; an operating means for moving each of the experimental units one by one; a control unit for controlling the movement of the operating means, Each experimental unit has a connecting means made of an electromagnet for detachably connecting to the other experimental units in the same positional relationship at all times; the base has a fixing means made of an electromagnet for detachably fixing the connecting means of the lowest experimental unit; the control unit uses the operation means to move a plurality of the experiment units in order in accordance with the procedure of the desired chemical experiment, and connect or disconnect the units to each other on the base; A plurality of the experimental units among the experimental units have connecting surfaces of the same size on the upper and lower surfaces, and have a supply port provided on the connecting surface on the upper surface and / or a discharge port provided on the connecting surface on the lower surface, and are arranged so that when the experimental unit having the supply port is connected below and the experimental unit having the discharge port is connected above, the connecting surface on the lower surface of the upper experimental unit and the connecting surface on the upper surface of the lower experimental unit can be connected to each other so that a substance discharged from the discharge port of the upper experimental unit can be supplied from the supply port of the lower experimental unit, Each experimental unit has an electrical terminal connected to the connecting means on the connecting surface, and when the experimental units are connected to each other by the connecting means, the electrical terminals are also connected to each other; The base has an electrical supply terminal connected to a power source, and when the connecting means of the lowest experimental unit is fixed by the fixing means, the electrical terminal on the connecting surface on the underside of the lowest experimental unit and the electrical supply terminal are connected; By supplying power from the electric supply terminal to the connecting means of each experimental unit through each electric terminal, the connecting means of each experimental unit is operated, and the lowest experimental unit is adsorbed to the base and the connected experimental units are adsorbed to each other. A chemical experiment equipment construction system featuring:

2. 2. The chemical experiment equipment construction system according to claim 1, wherein each experiment unit has all the functions of a plurality of types of chemical experiment equipment required to carry out a desired chemical experiment.

3. 3. The chemical experiment equipment construction system according to claim 1, wherein each experiment unit has an upper surface and a lower surface that form the connecting surface, and is provided so as to be connectable in the vertical direction.

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