Management system

Abstract

This management system serves to: select a suitable combination of a material of a product and an identification substance for adding information to the material, the combination being suitable in terms of the functionality of the identification substance and the characteristics of the product of the material; and determine and manage the combination of the material and the identification substance. The system involves: a first database that accepts designated input information relating to a material or identification substance, and that stores information on the material; and a second database that stores information on the identification substance. From these databases, a combination of an identification substance and a material in accordance with the input information is selected using selection conditions determined in advance with regard to the information on the material and the information on the identification substance.

Description

Management System

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management system.

[0002] Products made from resins (hereinafter referred to as "resin products") are widely used in various fields and industries. In recent years, the disposal of used resin products has caused various environmental problems, such as water and soil pollution due to improper disposal of used resin products, and global warming due to carbon dioxide emissions during incineration. To solve these problems, efforts to recycle resin products have become increasingly important.

[0003] Resin products collected for recycling contain a mixture of various types of resins. Therefore, there is a possibility that resin products that are unsuitable for recycling, for example, because they contain regulated substances, may be mixed in with the collected products. Therefore, identifying and removing these unsuitable resin products from the collected resin products is necessary for proper recycling. Furthermore, in order to select, handle, sell, and purchase resin products with a low environmental impact, visualization of the resin product's contribution to resource circulation, such as whether recycled materials are used, the recycling rate, the number of times recycled, the length of time the product is in the market, the energy and greenhouse gas emissions required for manufacturing, processing, and distribution, whether biomass materials are used, and the percentage of biomass materials used, is required. Therefore, the provision and identification of information for resin products is necessary.

[0004] Methods for displaying information such as ingredients on resin products include attaching a label with the information printed on it to the resin product, or printing or engraving the information on the resin product. As an alternative to labels or printed materials on the resin product itself, additives that contain optical or electromagnetic information and act as identifiers (hereinafter referred to as "identifying substances") can be added to the resin. However, some identifying substances can have problems, such as being difficult to handle during resin molding, adversely affecting the characteristics of the resin and the resin product, or losing their function as identifying substances over the life of the resin product.

[0005] Furthermore, in order to enable the identification of not only one's own products but also other companies' products when collecting resin products to which identifying substances have been added, it is desirable that resin manufacturers, resin product manufacturers, identification substance manufacturers, those involved in the processes of selling, distributing, collecting, recycling, disposing of resins or resin products to which identifying substances have been added, and those who monitor or regulate these processes, are able to mutually understand and manage the combinations of resins and identifying substances.

[0006] Regarding recycling management, for example, there are technologies disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 2022-552246 and 2022-552247, which enable management of reuse of recyclable materials. In these technologies, products are marked with detectable substances, and information indicating the characteristics of the raw material components is recorded in a database. Furthermore, by identifying the information indicating the characteristics by detecting the combination of markers, it is possible to reuse decomposed materials.

[0007] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2023-86673 also discloses a method for generating information on recycled products. In this method, a product with a chemical tag attached is manufactured in a manufacturing process, product information related to the recycling of the product is input in an input process, and tag product information is generated in a generation process by associating the product information with the wavelength spectrum profile of the chemical tag that can be read from the product.

[0008] In addition, there is a technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-110343 that makes it possible to provide a filler recycling system that can manufacture resin products using recovered recycled fillers. This technology outputs the optimal combination of recycled fillers based on required condition information, condition information, and inventory information.

[0009] However, the prior art such as Patent Documents 1 to 3 does not consider what material the identification information of the marker or tag should be combined with. Furthermore, the prior art such as Patent Document 4 provides a technique for managing fillers when they are recycled as resin products, but does not consider their use as identifiers or the combination of identifiers with resins.

[0010] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a management system that can present a suitable combination of materials and identification substances.

[0011] The management system disclosed herein is a system for selecting an appropriate combination of a product's material and an identifying substance for assigning information to the material, relating to the function of the identifying substance and the characteristics of the product or material, and for grasping and managing combinations of materials and identifying substances.The system accepts specified input information regarding the material or identifying substance, and selects a combination of material and identifying substance according to the input information from a first database that stores information about the material and a second database that stores information about the identifying substance, using predetermined selection conditions regarding the information about the material and the identifying substance.

[0012] The management system of the present disclosure has the advantage of being able to present suitable combinations of materials and identification substances.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system of this embodiment. FIG. 2 shows the hardware configuration of the management device. FIG. 3 shows an example of a combination determination program incorporating selection conditions. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of management processing executed by the management device. FIG. 5 shows an example of a combination of applications for resin types. FIG. 6 shows an example of a combination of molding processing temperatures for resin types. FIG. 7 shows an example of a combination of estimated usage periods for applications. FIG. 8 is an example of a flowchart including display processing in a modified example.

[0014] The present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, the background and outline of the present embodiment will be described.

[0015] This embodiment provides a management system that can grasp and manage combinations of materials and identifying substances. When an identifying substance is used to impart arbitrary information to a material in the management system, information about the target material is input and a database is referenced, and one or more appropriate identifying substances and / or combinations of identifying substances are output. Note that, in the following, from the perspective of ease of mixing with the identifying substance, the material on which information is recorded will be described as being resin or containing resin. The material may also be a mixture of resin and other substances, or a substance other than resin (rubber, sponge, etc.).

[0016] The management system of this embodiment provides a combination of identification materials suitable for a selected resin, and provides a suitable resin for a selected identification material. Providing a suitable combination by the management system prevents the identification material from losing its function as an identification material and / or making the resin difficult to mold and process, and / or impairing the characteristics required of the resin product, when or after the identification material is added to the resin to impart arbitrary information to the resin product. The effects of adding an identification material include marking, tracking, management, tokenization, quality control, and anti-counterfeiting. As described above, the management system outputs a combination of materials and identification materials suitable for the function of the identification material, handling of the resin, and product characteristics.

[0017] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system according to this embodiment. In the management system 100, a management device 110 and a plurality of terminals 102 are connected via a network N. Note that the configuration of the management system 100 is merely an example, and the terminals 102 and the management device 110 may be configured as an integrated unit.

[0018] 2 shows the hardware configuration of the management device 110. It includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a storage 14, an input unit 15, a display unit 16, and a communication interface (I / F) 17. Each component is connected to each other via a bus 19 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0019] The CPU 11 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 11 reads programs from the ROM 12 or the storage 14 and executes the programs using the RAM 13 as a work area. The CPU 11 controls the above components and performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with the programs stored in the ROM 12 or the storage 14. In this embodiment, the ROM 12 or the storage 14 stores a program for analysis processing.

[0020] The ROM 12 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 13 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 14 is configured by a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores various programs including an operating system and various data.

[0021] The input unit 15 includes a pointing device such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a microphone for voice input, and is used to perform various inputs.

[0022] The display unit 16 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays various information. The display unit 16 may be a touch panel type and function as the input unit 15.

[0023] The communication interface 17 is an interface for communicating with other devices such as terminals, etc. For this communication, for example, a wired communication standard such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or FDDI, or a wireless communication standard such as 4G, 5G, or Wi-Fi (registered trademark) is used.

[0024] The terminal 102 is operated by a user who desires a combination of materials and identification substances. The terminal 102 is provided with an interface that allows operations such as specifying and selecting information about materials and information about identification substances, and transmits input information about materials and information about identification substances input through operations to the management device 110. The interface of the terminal 102 also has the function of a display unit (not shown) that displays the combination results output from the management device 110.

[0025] Furthermore, the multiple terminals 102 are assigned to, for example, resin manufacturers and identification material manufacturers, respectively. A user in charge of the resin manufacturer inputs material information from the terminal 102 assigned to the resin manufacturer, thereby adding / updating the material information in the first DB 112. A user in charge of the identification material manufacturer inputs identification material information from the terminal 102 assigned to the identification material manufacturer, thereby adding / updating the identification material information in the second DB 114. Note that the resin information and identification material information stored in the DBs are not limited to those of each manufacturer, and may be added / updated by the administrator of the management system 100 or a person authorized by the administrator.

[0026] 1, the management device 110 functionally comprises a first database 112 (first DB 112) that stores information on materials, a second database 114 (second DB 114) that stores information on identified substances, an acquisition unit 120, and a calculation unit 122. In the management device 110, information on materials and information on identified substances is stored in advance when selecting combinations. The information stored in the first DB 112 and the second DB 114 will be described later.

[0027] The acquisition unit 120 acquires input information from the terminal 102 and outputs it to the calculation unit 122. The input information may, for example, specify a resin type or a type of identification material, and specify one of a combination. Furthermore, the input information may also specify a purpose, or may be input for the purpose of displaying guideline information, which will be described later.

[0028] The calculation unit 122 accepts input information, selects a combination of material and identification substance according to the input information from the first DB 112 and the second DB 114 using selection conditions defined for the material information and the identification substance information, and outputs the combination to the terminal 102. The selection conditions may be stored in the ROM 12 or the storage 14, and may be read and used by the calculation unit 122 as appropriate. The aspects of the selection conditions and the aspects of the guideline information will be described later.

[0029] By matching using selection conditions, for example, when a certain material is to be used in a product, (A) information on the target material is input into the management device 110, and an appropriate one or more identifying substances and / or combinations of identifying substances are output. Also, when arbitrary information is to be imparted to a resin using a certain identifying substance, (B) information on the target identifying substance is input into the management device 110, and an appropriate resin type, application, etc. are output.

[0030] Here, (A) material information and (B) identification substance information will be explained.

[0031] (A) Examples of material information include resin type (one example of the type of material disclosed herein), use, resin molding processing conditions (including molding processing temperature), period, resin characteristics (resin characteristics include whether or not coloring is possible), expected method / timing of addition of identifying substance, expected detection timing, and form of the desired identifying substance, etc. Specific examples of each piece of material information will be described later for ease of explanation.

[0032] (B) Examples of the information on the identifying substance include the type, characteristics, amount added, detection method, and characteristics of the detection method.

[0033] Any type of identification substance may be used as long as it can provide information that enables identification by optical / electromagnetic analysis, etc. Examples of types of identification substances include luminescent materials, fluorescent substances, dyes, DNA, inorganic substances, inorganic compounds such as hydrogen compounds / oxides / oxoacids / hydroxides / halides / sulfates / nitrates / carbonates / acetates / metal complexes (coordination compounds), metals, metal salts, metal oxides, metal organic frameworks, alloys, nanoparticles, organic substances, isotopes, pH-sensitive compounds, and crystalline structures.

[0034] The characteristics of the identification substance include data on colorability, etc. In addition, the following may be added as desired: durability (durable / semi-durable / non-durable), form (powder, liquid, masterbatch, etc.), heat resistance (melting temperature, thermal decomposition temperature, whether harmful gases are generated), safety of the ingredients, stability (whether or not they change over time), types of resins / purposes in which they have been added, results of elution tests when added to resins, particle size, particle size distribution, and other characteristics (copy protection).

[0035] The amount of the identification substance to be added is the lower limit at which the identification substance can be detected. Alternatively, the amount to be added may be an upper limit at which the resin properties are not affected, or the effect of the amount to be added on the resin properties may be added.

[0036] Examples of detection methods for identification substances include absorption spectroscopy such as X-ray absorption spectroscopy, emission spectroscopy such as X-ray fluorescence elemental analysis (XRF) / X-ray emission spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), light scattering spectroscopy such as Raman scattering spectroscopy / Brillouin scattering spectroscopy / dynamic light scattering / small-angle X-ray scattering, photoelectron spectroscopy such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy / ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy / Auger electron spectroscopy, photoacoustic spectroscopy, acousto-optical spectroscopy, submillimeter wave spectroscopy, terahertz spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), spectroscopic ellipsometry, chemiluminescence, chromatography analysis, mass spectroscopy, microscopic analysis, surface analysis, interface analysis, and base sequence analysis.

[0037] Examples of characteristics of a detection method include whether it can be mounted on a belt conveyor, whether it is portable, etc., the safety of the device (X-ray, etc.), the light source required for detection, the shape dependency of the detection target, the time required for detection, the detection resolution, etc. Characteristics are associated with each detection method.

[0038] An example of the selection conditions will be explained below. When the input information is information about a material, the selection conditions for an identifying substance to be suitably combined with the material can be any one of the following conditions or a combination thereof: a heat resistance temperature equal to or higher than the molding temperature of the material, a durability period equal to or higher than the estimated use period of the material, a coloring property equal to or higher than the coloring tolerance range, or a desired form of the identifying substance.

[0039] When the input information is information about an identifying substance, the selection conditions for a material that is a suitable combination with the identifying substance can be any one of the following conditions or a combination thereof: a molding processing temperature that is lower than the heat resistance temperature of the identifying substance, an estimated usage period for the application that is lower than the durability period of the identifying substance, a color tolerance range that is lower than the coloring possibility range of the identifying substance, and the form of the identifying substance being the desired form.

[0040] Here, an example of a combination determination program incorporating selection conditions is shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 illustrates a case where, when a certain resin type is input, the appropriate combination is determined for each type of identification material (numbered 1 through 9 for convenience) for the material information related to that resin type. a1 through a3 indicate the material information conditions, and b1 through b3 indicate the identification material information conditions. The parameters for determination 1 are a1 molding temperature / b1 heat resistance temperature, a2 estimated service life / b2 durability (endurance period), and a3 coloring availability / b3 color availability for determination 3. The calculation unit 122 determines these individually and outputs the appropriate combination of identification materials based on a comprehensive determination. In the example of FIG. 3, a double circle ("◎") is output as the appropriate identification material based on the comprehensive determination. In the comprehensive determination, identification materials that satisfy all of the determinations are considered to be a combination, and all others are considered FALSE (not a combination). Furthermore, in the order of smallest condition gap, the order is 2, 3, 6, and 5. Note that a similar determination program can be designed when the input information is information on the identification substance. The calculation unit 122 can output a suitable combination using the above-described determination program as an example.

[0041] In Figure 3, a1 and b1 indicate temperature values. a2 is assigned an estimated usage period of 21: less than 1 year (expected to be recycled frequently / short period), 22: 1 year or more but less than 5 years, and 23: 5 years or more (expected to be recycled infrequently / long period). b2 is assigned durability information of 21: possible inactivation in less than 1 year, 22: possible inactivation in 1 year or more but less than 5 years, and 23: possible inactivation in 5 years or more. a3 is assigned coloration information of 31: coloration is easily tolerated (used in areas not exposed to human eyes, or coloration is tolerated even though it is exposed to human eyes), 32: coloration is permitted as long as it is not visually noticeable (used in areas exposed to human eyes), and 33: coloration is difficult to tolerate (characterized by transparency). b3 is assigned coloration information of 31: coloration (possibly), 32: coloration may vary depending on conditions (low addition amount, etc.), and 33: coloration is highly likely not to occur. The numerical values ​​and assigned information set in a2, b2, a3, and b3 are examples and are not specifically stipulated. The condition gap is calculated using the following formula: Condition gap = m1 x (b1 - a1) + m2 x (b2 - a2) + m3 x (b3 - a3)

[0042] Here, in Figure 3, the condition gap was calculated assuming m1 = 1, m2 = 1, and m3 = 1. m1, m2, and m3 are not particularly specified and may be changed depending on the weighting of the required conditions. The formula for calculating the condition gap is merely an example, and any combination of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division may be used, and coefficients and constants may be added arbitrarily. A combination with a small condition gap can avoid over-specification combinations. In the example of Figure 3, by selecting 2 as the identifying material for the resin type, it is possible to reserve suitable identifying materials for resin types with higher requirements than the resin type (higher molding temperature, longer estimated service life, and / or less tolerance for coloring). In Figure 3, the condition gap is calculated and displayed only for those materials that satisfy the overall judgment, but it may also be calculated and displayed for those materials that do not satisfy the overall judgment. If there are no or few materials that satisfy the overall judgment, it is possible to search for identifying materials that are likely to satisfy the overall judgment by relaxing the required conditions or considering improvements to the identifying material, even among those that do not satisfy the overall judgment. Furthermore, the combination of material information and identification substance information used in FIG. 3 is one example, and the determination of other combinations of information described above can also be designed appropriately.

[0043] Next, the operation of the management system 100 will be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of management processing executed by the management device 110. The management processing is executed by the CPU 11 reading a management program from the ROM 12 or the storage 14, loading it into the RAM 13, and executing it.

[0044] In step S100 , the CPU 11 functions as the acquisition unit 120 to acquire input information from the terminal 102 .

[0045] In step S102, the CPU 11, as the calculation unit 122, accepts input information and acquires the necessary material information and identification substance information from the first DB 112 and the second DB 114 according to the selection conditions set for the material information and identification substance information.

[0046] In step S104, the CPU 11 functions as the calculation unit 122 to select a combination of material and identification substance according to the input information in accordance with the selection conditions, and outputs the combination to the terminal 102.

[0047] As described above, the management system 100 according to this embodiment can present suitable combinations of materials and identification substances.

[0048] (Modification) The output of the calculation unit 122 is not limited to the output of a preferred combination of material and identification substance. For example, the calculation unit 122 may output and display guide information to the terminal 102 in accordance with input information. By inputting the type of material into the calculation unit 122, it is possible to output and display the use and molding conditions as guide information to the terminal 102. Furthermore, by inputting the use into the calculation unit 122, it is possible to output and display the type of material and the estimated use period for the use as guide information to the terminal 102. Furthermore, when a displayed use is selected, the expected use period may also be displayed. Furthermore, when a displayed type of material is selected, the expected use period may also be displayed. Furthermore, the interface of the terminal 102 may allow a user to select whether or not to specify whether or not to display the guide information.

[0049] 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a combination of resin types and applications. The gray areas correspond to suitable applications. Referring to FIG. 5, for example, if the resin type input is high-density polyethylene (HDPE), the calculation unit 122 displays the following applications as guideline application information: machine parts, various industrial products, stationery / toys / miscellaneous goods, textiles / carpets / filters / nonwoven fabrics / clothing.

[0050] Figure 6 shows an example of a combination of molding temperatures for different resin types. As shown in Figure 6, the molding temperatures may be shown as a range. For example, in the case of HDPE, it shows that molding can be performed at temperatures between 200 and 290 degrees. When referring to Figure 6, for example, if the resin type input is HDPE, the calculation unit 122 will display a range of 200 to 290 degrees as a guideline molding temperature.

[0051] 7 shows an example of a combination of usage periods and estimated usage periods. Usage periods are assigned as follows: less than one year (high frequency / short-term recycling is expected), one year to less than five years, and five years or more (low frequency / long-term recycling is expected). Referring to FIG. 7, for example, if mobility is input as the usage period, the calculation unit 122 displays five years or more as the estimated usage period.

[0052] 8 is an example of a flowchart including a display process in the modified example. After input information is acquired in step S100, step S200 is executed.

[0053] In step S200, the CPU 11, functioning as the acquisition unit 120, determines whether the input information is a material type (resin type) or an application. If it is a material type, the process proceeds to step S202, and if it is an application, the process proceeds to step S204.

[0054] In step S202, the CPU 11 functions as the calculation unit 122 and refers to the first DB 112, and outputs and displays the use and molding processing conditions as information that serves as a guide for the type of material to the terminal 102. This allows the user to easily input information even when only the type of material is known. It also provides information to assist the user in making a decision.

[0055] In step S204, the CPU 11, functioning as the calculation unit 122, refers to the first DB 112 and outputs and displays the type of material and the estimated usage period for the intended use as information that serves as a guide for the intended use to the terminal 102. This allows for easy input of information even when only the intended use is known. Furthermore, it is possible to present information necessary for selection based on the intended use and provide information to assist the user in making a decision.

[0056] After executing steps S202 and S204, the processes of steps S102 and S104 may be executed. If the input information is the application, a specification of the types of materials to be used in combination selection may be accepted from the terminal 102, from among the types of materials output as the information to be used as a guide in step S204, and this may be used as input information for selecting the combination.

[0057] Next, examples of each piece of information that constitutes (A) material information are given below. Examples of resin types are low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene-vinyl acetate alcohol (EVA), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), acrylonitrile-styrene (AS), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), polyacetal (POM), polycarbonate (PC), polyphenylene ether (PPE), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (U-PE), polyvinyl fluoride, etc. Examples of such a plastic include polyvinylidene (PVDF), polysulfone (PSU), polyethersulfone (PES), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyarylate (PAI), polyamideimide (PAI), polyetherimide (PEI), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyimide (PI), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), phenolic resin (PF), urea resin (UF), melamine resin (MF), unsaturated polyester (UP), epoxy resin (EP), silicone resin (SI), polyurethane (PU), thermoplastic elastomer, biodegradable plastic, and plant-derived plastic.

[0058] The polyolefin may be any polyolefin, such as an α-olefin copolymer of ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 1-hexene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 3-methyl-1-pentene, 3-methyl-1-butene, or a copolymer consisting of two or more main comonomers, or a copolymer of an α-olefin with another copolymerizable monomer, such as styrene, acrylonitrile, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, an acrylic acid ester, or a methacrylic acid ester, or a blend, block copolymer, or graft copolymer of the above with each other or with other thermoplastic resins.

[0059] As described above, the management system 100 can be configured so that the resin is selected from the group consisting of polyolefin, polyamide, polystyrene, polyester, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, polyimide, polyacrylonitrile, and polyvinyl alcohol. Also, the management system 100 can be configured so that the resin includes polyolefin, and the polyolefin is selected from polypropylene and polyethylene.

[0060] Examples of applications include mobility, furniture, home appliances, electrical and electronic components, optical components, machine components, various industrial products, food containers / bottles / caps, packaging materials, stationery / toys / miscellaneous goods, household goods, daily necessities, outdoor equipment / gardening supplies, agricultural / civil engineering / construction materials, medical supplies, paints / dyes / adhesives / coatings, electric wire coverings / power cable protection, textiles / carpets / filters / nonwoven fabrics / clothing, fishing nets / fishing tackle, and space / aircraft parts.

[0061] Examples of specific mobility items include automobile interior parts (meter covers, leather, cushions), automobile exterior parts (bumpers, lamp lenses, gas tanks), and bicycle parts. Examples of specific furniture items include bedding, chairs, and desks. Examples of specific home appliances include refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, air conditioners, microwaves, rice cookers, vacuum cleaners, telephones, and electric fans. Examples of specific electrical and electronic components include office automation equipment, computers, IC boards, printed wiring boards, mobile phone housings, battery cases, sensors, semiconductor encapsulants, terminals, fluorescent light components, and outlet components. Examples of specific machine components include cogwheels, gears, cams, bearings, rollers, and gaskets. Examples of specific industrial products include tanks, pipes, and molds. Examples of specific packaging materials include packaging materials (bags, plastic wrap, and food tubes), films, sheets, and laminates. Examples of specific stationery items include pens and clear files. Examples of specific household goods include tableware, cooking utensils, kitchenware, bath products, and toilet products. Examples of detailed everyday items include chair covers, leather, bags, and shoes.

[0062] Examples of molding conditions are given below. Examples of molding conditions include the manufacturing method (molding method) of the molded body and the molding temperature. Specific molding methods include conventionally known molding methods, such as extrusion molding, injection molding, film molding, inflation molding, blow molding, extrusion blow molding, injection blow molding, press molding, vacuum molding, powder slush molding, calendar molding, foam molding, and known thermoforming methods such as 3D printers. The molding temperature is as shown in FIG. 6. The molding temperature is compared with the heat resistance (heat resistance temperature) of the identifying substance. The temperature can be set, for example, in 10-degree increments, so that the output is one in which the endurance temperature of the identifying substance exceeds the upper limit of the molding temperature. The molding temperature is input by the resin manufacturer, and the heat resistance temperature is input by the identifying substance manufacturer.

[0063] Examples of the period include a quality assurance period and a usage period (a rough estimate of the usage period until recycling or disposal). The usage period is as shown in FIG. 7.

[0064] Resin properties are exemplified below. Examples of resin properties include color, odor, density, molecular weight, viscoelasticity, tensile properties such as tensile modulus / yield stress, bending properties such as bending strength / flexural modulus, impact properties such as impact strength obtained by Charpy impact tests / Izod impact tests, other physical properties, abrasion resistance, scratch resistance, water resistance, oil resistance, chemical resistance, acid resistance, alkali resistance, cold resistance, heat resistance, weather resistance, fatigue life, radiation resistance, gas permeability, transparency, adhesiveness, high-frequency weldability, printability, colorability, flame retardancy, self-extinguishing ability, solid viscoelasticity, melt viscoelasticity, fluidity, melting point, crystal properties such as crystallinity / crystal structure, molecular structure, molecular composition, moldability, dimensional stability, electrical properties, and biodegradability. Colorability is used as shown in FIG. 3.

[0065] Examples of expected methods and timing of adding the identifying substance are listed below. Examples of methods include melt-mixing using an extruder (twin-screw or triple-screw), hand-blending or blending in advance using a tumbler, and adding using an extruder side feed. Examples of methods of adding the identifying substance include mixing using a tumbler, V-type blender, ribbon blender, Henschel mixer, or the like, followed by kneading using an extruder, kneader, Banbury mixer, or two-roll mill. Examples of timing of addition include timing during raw material production (monomer), resin production, masterbatch production, compounding of multiple materials, and molding. Examples of timing of addition include timing during post-industry recycling (PIR) or post-consumer recycling (PCR), chemical recycling, and thermal recycling. The addition method and timing are compared with the form of the identifying substance. Resin manufacturers input the required form of the identifying substance (liquid, solid (powder), and masterbatch). Identifying substance manufacturers input the form of the identifying substance they can provide (liquid, solid (powder), and masterbatch).

[0066] Examples of expected detection timing are shown below. Examples of detection timing include raw material production (monomer), resin production, masterbatch production, multi-material compounding, and molding processing. Examples of detection timing include post-industry recycling (PIR) or post-consumer recycling (PCR), chemical recycling, and thermal recycling. Examples of detection timing include transportation, sales, use (consumption), recovery, dismantling, crushing, sorting (separation), and disposal. Detection timing is also compared with the ease and safety of the detection method. Resin manufacturers input the specifications of the required detector, including whether it is portable (handheld) and whether it can be installed inline. Identification material manufacturers input the specifications of the detectors they can provide, including whether it is portable (handheld) and whether it can be installed inline.

[0067] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0068] For example, a resin manufacturer (first user related to the material) may request information on a necessary identification substance that is not present in the second DB 114 from an identification substance manufacturer (second user related to the identification substance). The resin manufacturer assumes that information on a material corresponding to the information on the necessary identification substance is present in or scheduled to be added to the first DB 112. The calculation unit 122 accepts the request from the resin manufacturer and notifies the terminal 102 of the identification substance manufacturer of the request for information on the necessary identification substance. Upon receiving the notification, the identification substance manufacturer transmits the information on the requested identification substance as additional information to the management device 110 and updates the second DB 114. This makes it possible to select a combination of materials and identification substances taking into account the combination of the added information.

[0069] This system may be linked to various traceability systems. Furthermore, any information on the combination of resin and identification material may be added through this system to enable traceability.

[0070] In addition, in this specification, the term "program" can be applied to a mode in which the program is pre-installed, or a mode in which the hardware configuration and program are stored on a cloud server on the Internet. In the case of a cloud server, the program can be executed in a mode in which the program executes calculations via a web application / API and returns the calculation results to a browser on a terminal, etc. The program can also be provided by being stored on a computer-readable recording medium.

[0071] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-170608, filed on September 29, 2023, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0072] All publications, patent applications, and technical standards mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent application, or technical standard was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. A system for selecting suitable combinations of product materials and identifying substances for adding information to the materials, relating to the functions of the identifying substances and the characteristics of the product or materials, and for grasping and managing combinations of materials and identifying substances, which receives specified input information related to materials or identifying substances, and selects combinations of materials and identifying substances corresponding to the input information from a first database that stores information on materials and a second database that stores information on identifying substances, using predetermined selection conditions related to the information on materials and the information on identifying substances.

2. The management system of claim 1, wherein the information about the material stored in the first database includes at least one of the following: type of material, use, molding processing conditions related to at least temperature, estimated usage period for the use, whether or not it can be colored, and the form of the desired identification material.

3. The management system according to claim 2, wherein, by inputting the type of material, the intended use and molding processing conditions are displayed on a specified display unit as guideline information.

4. The management system according to claim 2, wherein, by inputting the intended use, the type of material and the estimated period of use are displayed on a specified display unit as guideline information.

5. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the information on the identification material stored in the second database includes at least one of the heat resistance temperature, durability, presence or absence of coloring, and form of the identification material.

6. The management system of claim 1, wherein when the input information is information about the material, the selection conditions for the identifying substance to be combined with the material include at least one of the following: a heat resistance temperature equal to or higher than the molding processing temperature of the material, a durability period equal to or higher than the estimated usage period for the material application, a colorability equal to or higher than the coloring tolerance range, and a desired form of the identifying substance.

7. A management system as described in claim 1, wherein when the input information is information about the identifying substance, the selection conditions for the material to be combined with the identifying substance preferably include at least one of the following: a molding processing temperature below the heat resistance temperature of the identifying substance, an estimated usage period below the durability period of the identifying substance, a coloring tolerance range below the coloring possibility range of the identifying substance, and the form of the identifying substance being the desired form.

8. The management system of claim 1, wherein the material comprises a resin.

9. The management system of claim 8, wherein the resin is selected from the group consisting of polyolefin, polyamide, polystyrene, polyester, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, polyimide, polyacrylonitrile, and polyvinyl alcohol.

10. The management system of claim 8, wherein said resin comprises a polyolefin, said polyolefin being selected from polypropylene and polyethylene.

11. The management system of claim 1, wherein the identification substance is any one or a combination of a luminescent material, a dye, DNA, an inorganic salt, a metal salt, a metal oxide, a metal organic framework, a metal complex, an alloy, a nanoparticle, an isotope, a pH-sensitive compound, and a crystal structure.

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