MEDIA RELEASE PR36675
Dow and Fuji Xerox Join Eco-Patent Commons
GENEVA, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
Xerox pledges additional patent to help the planet
The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) (NYSE: DOW) and Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. (Fuji
Xerox), a joint venture between Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) and FUJIFILM
Holdings Corporation, have joined the Eco-Patent Commons, a first-of-a-kind
business effort coordinated by the World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBCSD) to help the environment by pledging environmentally
beneficial patents to the public domain.
The newly pledged patents include:
-- A technology developed by Dow to enable more efficient production of
olefins by reducing energy and material consumption in the process. Olefins
are basic building blocks for many materials used in packaging, electronics,
adhesives, and durable goods, among other applications. These patents offer
several advantages over existing technology that make olefin production more
efficient - including increased catalyst lifetimes, and less increase in
pressure drop over time in the reactor, which reduces the frequency of
catalyst replacement.
-- Wastewater treatment method developed by Fuji Xerox.
"We are delighted to welcome The Dow Chemical Company and Fuji Xerox Co.,
Ltd. to the Eco-Patent Commons," said the WBCSD's President, Bjorn Stigson.
"By making available their patents in this way, by sharing the results of
their investment in research and development, companies are showing real
leadership in sustainable development. Eco-Patent Commons continues to grow,
and added together, the available patents make up a valuable resource for
those individuals and companies working in areas such as energy efficiency,
water treatment and waste reduction."
Pledged patents by Dow
The two patents describe catalysts comprising a pre-shaped porous support
material with an active compound for the preparation of and use in the
dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons.
Dehydrogenation of compounds like hydrocarbons is a widely used and large
scale process. Examples include: the dehydrogenation of alkanes to alkenes,
such as propane to propene and butane to butene, and the dehydrogenation of
alkyl-aromatic hydrocarbons to alkenyl-aromatic hydrocarbons, such as from
ethylbenzene to styrene.
Pledged patents by Fuji Xerox
Fuji Xerox pledged two patents that effectively treat wastewater. The
wastewater treatment processes enable efficient treatment of wastewater
discharged from factories by coagulation and separation of specific chemical
substances in wastewater utilizing Polysilicato-Iron or separating
surfactant, and reduce quantities of the coagulant and the resulted sludge
without harming the environment.
Xerox pledges an additional patent
Xerox Corporation became a member of the Eco-Patent Commons last year and
at the time pledged eleven patents that cover a process that cuts the time it
takes to remove toxic waste from soil and water from years to months. Today
the company pledged an additional patent that covers technology that makes
magnetic refrigeration less harmful to the environment. Xerox's US Patent
5,641,424 describes how to make and apply a magnetized solution in magnetic
refrigeration that eliminates the need for ozone depleting refrigerants and
energy-consuming compressors. Conventional magnetic refrigeration processes
often use chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), chemicals
that have a considerable greenhouse effect.
Since the launch of the Eco-Patent Commons in January 2008 by IBM, Nokia,
Pitney Bowes and Sony in partnership with the WBCSD, eleven companies
representing a variety of industries worldwide have publicly shared
innovation through Eco-Patent Commons to help contribute in areas such as
energy efficiency and conservation, waste reduction and recycling: Bosch,
Dow, DuPont, Fuji Xerox, IBM (NYSE: IBM), Nokia, Pitney Bowes, Ricoh, Sony,
Taisei and Xerox.
Membership in the Eco-Patent Commons is open to all individuals and
companies willing to pledge their patents. The selection and submission of
each organization's patents for pledging is at the organization's discretion.
Member companies and the WBCSD invite other interested companies to become
members of the Eco-Patent Commons and participate in this initiative
promoting innovation and collaboration to help protect the planet.
The pledged portfolio and the instructions on how to become a member are
available on a dedicated, public Web site hosted by the WBCSD at
About The Dow Chemical Company
Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science
and technology with the "Human Element" to constantly improve what is
essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products
and services to customers in approximately 160 countries, connecting
chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help
provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints,
packaging and personal care products. In 2008, Dow had annual sales of $57.5
billion and employed approximately 46,000 people worldwide. The Company has
150 manufacturing sites in 35 countries and produces approximately 3,300
products. On April 1, 2009, Dow acquired Rohm and Haas Company, a global
specialty materials company with sales of $10 billion in 2008, 98
manufacturing sites in 30 countries and approximately 15,000 employees
worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company
and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More
About Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., a 75/25 joint venture between FUJIFILM Holdings
Corporation and Xerox Corporation, is a leading provider of document
management systems throughout Japan and Asia Pacific regions and designs and
manufactures multifunction devices and color printing systems for Xerox
worldwide. Fuji Xerox provides business solutions by enhancing the management
and utilization of documents, from analog and digital data to graphics and
movies, aimed at increasing business and corporate quality through the
creation and circulation of knowledge. Fuji Xerox's operations include the
office products, office printers, production services and Global Services
businesses.
About Xerox Corporation
Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., Xerox Corporation's 54,000 people
represent the world's leading document management, technology and services
enterprise, providing the industry's broadest portfolio of color and
black-and-white document processing systems and related supplies, as well as
document management consulting and outsourcing services.
About the World Business Council for Sustainable Development
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development brings together
some 200 international companies in a shared commitment to sustainable
development through economic growth, ecological balance and social progress.
Members are drawn from more than 30 countries and 20 major industrial
sectors. The WBCSD also benefits from a global network of about 60 national
and regional business councils and partner organizations. Its mission is to
provide business leadership as a catalyst for change toward sustainable
development, and to support the business license to operate, innovate and
grow in a world increasingly shaped by sustainable development issues.
Media Contacts:
Mike McCaffrey
The Dow Chemical Company
Office: +1-989-636-3045
mmccaffrey@dow.com
Masaaki Bando
Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
Office: +81-3-6271-5120
masaaki.bando@fujixerox.co.jp
Elissa Nesbitt
Xerox Corporation
Office: +1-585-423-3591
Elissa.Nesbitt@Xerox.com
Moira O'Brien-Malone
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Office: +41 79 377 7958
obm@wbcsd.org
June Namioka
IBM Media Relations
Office: +81-3-3808-5196
june@jp.ibm.com
SOURCE IBM
CONTACT: Mike McCaffrey, The Dow Chemical Company, +1-989-636-3045,
mmccaffrey@dow.com; or Masaaki Bando, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., +81-3-6271-5120,
masaaki.bando@fujixerox.co.jp; or Elissa Nesbitt, Xerox Corporation,
+1-585-423-3591, Elissa.Nesbitt@Xerox.com; or Moira O'Brien-Malone, The World
Business Council for Sustainable Development, +41-79-377-7958, obm@wbcsd.org;
or June Namioka, IBM Media Relations, +81-3-3808-5196, june@jp.ibm.com
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