Joint Development of Residential Heating Tile with Kogakuin University

RIKEN TECHNOS CORPORATION (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President & CEO: Kazuaki Tokiwa) has jointly developed a residential heating tile with Kogakuin University.

RIKEN TECHNOS has also applied its technologies in polymer alloys, blends, and composites—developed through polyvinyl chloride—on other plastics to achieve various complex properties and functions in polymer materials, improving the quality of life and creating a safe, affluent society.

This joint research was launched as an academic-industrial partnership project in 2024. Under the guidance of associate professor Hiroki Nagai from the Department of Applied Physics, School of Advanced Engineering, Kogakuin University, research was conducted on forming thin heating films on floor tiles.

As a result of combining the resin material formulations and manufacturing technologies of RIKEN TECHNOS with the thin-film technologies of Kogakuin University, the project succeeded in adding a heating function—which generates heat at low voltages—to floor tiles made using at least 95% recycled materials. For small areas, heating is possible using dry cell batteries. By having a heating function in addition to durability and design, it can also be expected to be used for energy-saving home appliances in place of floor heating and air conditioning as well as portable disaster-prevention home appliances that provide heat during disasters.

Going forward, development will be undertaken toward practical application as products that can provide small areas of energy-saving, comfortable spaces.

Fig. 1 Composition of residential heating tile

Fig. 2 Applied voltage and temperature change over time for 10 cm × 10 cm tile

RIKEN TECHNOS will continue to take on the challenge of new fields and product development through joint development.

About Hiroki Nagai, associate professor at Kogakuin University
https://www.kogakuin.ac.jp/faculty/lab/ae_lab42.html

Website of Kogakuin University
https://www.kogakuin.ac.jp/english/

Website of RIKEN TECHNOS
https://www.rikentechnos.co.jp/e/