A Washer That Uses Liquefied Carbon Dioxide as Solvent
LG Electronics will demonstrate the viability of a washing machine that does not produce wastewater and exhaust gas emissions.
The Sandbox Support Center of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on Dec. 30 that six companies, including LG Electronics, will be allowed to demonstrate the viability of their new technologies that they cannot currently commercialize due to regulations.
LG Electronics was allowed to test a washing machine that compresses carbon dioxide and uses it as a laundry solvent to wash laundries. It vaporizes and re-collects carbon dioxide after washing and reuses it for the next wash. Unlike conventional commercial washing machines that uses water and oil, the new LG washer is an eco-friendly product that does not generate wastewater and exhaust gas emissions.
Although this method has already been commercialized overseas, the compression and liquefaction of carbon dioxide used in washing machines constitutes high-pressure gas manufacturing under the High-Pressure Gas Act in Korea, which requires a company to maintain a certain safety distance from other facilities and install barriers when its manufacturing process involves compression and liquefaction of carbon dioxide. LG Electronics plans to test-run the washing machine in its laboratory to verify its safety, and then install it in some laundry facilities by obtaining temporary permission from the government.