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Japanese entrepreneur creates live-saving adhesive

Chairman and Founder of Proseven Co., Ltd., Seizo Kodama holding a gel-pad. (GOJ)
Chairman and Founder of Proseven Co., Ltd., Seizo Kodama holding a gel-pad. (GOJ)
Demonstration of furniture during an earthquake without using Proseven. (GOJ)
Demonstration of furniture during an earthquake without using Proseven. (GOJ)
Demonstration of furniture during an earthquake with using Proseven.  (GOJ)
Demonstration of furniture during an earthquake with using Proseven. (GOJ)
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19 Jan 2020 09:01:04 GMT9
19 Jan 2020 09:01:04 GMT9

A fatal incident of a close friend during the 1995 Kobe earthquake left Chairman and Founder of Proseven Co., Ltd., Seizo Kodama, with an unwavering mission to save lives.

The incident occurred on Jan. 17, 1995, while Kodama’s friends was sleeping in the during a level seven earthquake, when he was struck and killed by a storage cabinet, or tansu that flew across the room. Despite the structural stability of the building itself, the man died from being hit by toppled furniture.

Inspired by the tragedy of his friend’s death, Kodama, 77, promised his children and friends, "I will definitely find a way to prevent tansu from flying across rooms,” according to the Government of Japan.

This initiated the creation of a small business, Proseven, which aimed at developing a product that could prevent furniture form toppling during earthquakes.

After failing to find a readily available product that fulfilled the requirements of his vision, Kodama decided to start his own research project to develop a new material. He began testing new chemical compounds carefully controlled temperature and finally succeeded in the development of a material that was able to withstand tremors of intensity level seven.

The newly developed material resembled a gel-pad, instead, Kodama’s Proseven gel-pad was a non-toxic, eco-friendly product made from biomass and plant-derived constituents.

According to the GOJ, the name "Proseven” refers to "professional plus seismic intensity seven” to emphasize the pads ability to prevent the movement of furniture even when shaken at a seismic intensity of level seven.”

The novelty of the Proseven gel-pad resided in its convergence of two contradictory properties, strong adhesivity and easy removability.

The adhesive strength resisted and absorbed vibrations, and thus prevented furniture from flying or even toppling during the occurrence of an earthquake. While the ease of removability ensured that the product was easy to peel it off, without damaging, the furniture it was attached to or the adhesive surface of the product. The adhesive can be used repeatedly, making it environmentally friendly.

Today, Proseven’s advantages extend beyond safeguarding household items to professional factories, universities hospitals, and art galleries.

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