JP2023030060A - Information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method, a steel product, and an information processing method that enhance feasibility of a carbon neutral steel product.

SOLUTION: An information processing method uses an information processing device including a control unit, a communication unit, and a storage unit, and being communicably connected to a network via the communication unit, which comprises the steps of: acquiring property information indicating at least one of a chemical property and a physical property of a product manufactured by the control unit; acquiring certification information certifying that at least part of electricity used to manufacture the product is electricity defined as a non-fossil value or a zero emission value; storing property information and the certification information in the storage unit in association with a manufacturing lot of the product; and issuing a certificate indicating the property information and the certification information for each manufacturing lot.

SELECTED DRAWING: None

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a steel product, a steel product, and an information processing method.

In October 2020, the Japanese government declared "2050 carbon neutral". Furthermore, the Japanese government announced a policy of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 46% from the FY2013 level as a new greenhouse gas reduction target for FY2030. Towards carbon neutrality in 2050, efforts in the energy sector, which accounts for more than 80% of greenhouse gas emissions, are important. In particular, the decarbonization of the power sector is considered important.

When manufacturing steel products using conventional electric furnaces, most of the energy used is electric power. When electric power is generated by thermal power generation, carbon dioxide is discharged during power generation. On the other hand, when electricity is generated from non-fossil power sources, no carbon dioxide is emitted.

An object of the present disclosure made in view of such circumstances is to provide a manufacturing method, a steel product, and an information processing method for increasing the feasibility of carbon neutral steel products.

A production method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for producing steel products in an electric furnace using electricity defined as non-fossil value or zero emission value.

A steel material product according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is manufactured by the manufacturing method described above.

A steel product according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes mill sheet information about a production lot, and certification information proving that the electricity used to manufacture the production lot is electricity defined as a non-fossil value or a zero emission value associated with.

An information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes
An information processing method by an information processing device communicably connected to a network,
It includes associating mill sheet information about a production lot of a steel product with certification information that certifies that the electric power used to manufacture the production lot is electric power defined as a non-fossil value or a zero emission value.

An information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes
An information processing method by an information processing device communicably connected to a network,
If the power generation process of the purchased power is a process that uses renewable energy and non-renewable energy in combination, identifying power derived from renewable energy among the power;
Associating certification information certifying that the identified power is renewable energy-derived power with mill sheet information for a production lot of a steel product;
including.

According to the method for manufacturing a steel product, the steel product, and the information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to increase the feasibility of making the steel product carbon-neutral. can be generated. That is, as a first effect, it is possible to visualize that the electric power used to manufacture steel products is electric power defined as non-fossil value or zero emission value. In this way, society can easily recognize the environmental value of carbon-neutral steel products, so the environmental value can be improved. As a second effect, the customer who purchased the steel product can enjoy the environmental value of the carbon-neutral steel product with minimal cost increase. As a third effect, the steel product manufacturer can apply the profits obtained from the production to the development of a carbon-neutral iron manufacturing method. As a fourth effect, it is possible to manufacture steel products that contribute to the reduction of the burden on the environment. (quoted from the "Law Concerning Promotion, etc. of Procurement of Environmental Goods, etc. by the State, etc." in Japan).

In addition, according to the steel product manufacturing method, the steel product, and the information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to increase the feasibility of making the steel product carbon-neutral, so that the following economic effects are produced. can be made That is, as the first effect, it is possible to increase the overall evaluation of the steel product manufacturer by the government, so that the possibility of winning a successful bid in competitive bidding can be increased, thereby increasing the amount of orders received and profits. can be done. As a second effect, it is possible to capture demand from customers who desire carbon-neutral steel products, so that the sales price of steel products can be raised. As a third effect, if this patent application is granted a patent, a license fee ( license fee).

1 is a schematic diagram of an electric furnace according to the present embodiment; FIG. It is a figure which shows the cast slab semi-finished product manufactured using an electric furnace. It is a figure which shows an example of a mill sheet. 1 is a schematic diagram of an information processing device and a network according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of an information processing apparatus. It is a diagram showing a blockchain. It is a figure which shows the data structure of manufacturing lot DB (database). 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information processing device;

In the manufacturing method of this embodiment, a steel material product is manufactured using an electric furnace. As shown in FIG. 1, the electric furnace EF applies a high voltage to the electrode EL to generate arc heat, which melts the iron scrap SC. Molten steel MS produced by melting is processed into steel products after going through processes such as composition adjustment, casting and rolling.

The electric power used in the electric furnace EF of the present embodiment is electric power that does not emit carbon dioxide and is generated from a non-fossil power source such as renewable energy. Renewable energy here refers to the following energy sources.
(1) Solar power (2) Wind power (3) Hydro power (4) Geothermal power (5) Biomass (organic matter derived from animals and plants that can be used as an energy source (excluding crude oil, petroleum gas, combustible natural gas, coal, and products manufactured from these. ).)
(6) In addition to the energy sources listed in 1 to 5 above, among energy sources other than crude oil, petroleum gas, combustible natural gas, coal, and products manufactured from these, those that can be used permanently as an energy source for electricity. Those specified by Cabinet Order as permitted

Non-fossil power sources include, for example, nuclear power as well as renewable energy. Electricity generated from non-fossil power sources includes the following two.
1. Value of electricity itself (kWh value, etc.)
2. Non-Fossil Value In the present embodiment, the "non-fossil value" of the above two values is referred to as non-fossil value. The electric furnace EF uses electric power defined as a non-fossil value. The non-fossil value here is the value recorded as a non-fossil power source when calculating the non-fossil power source ratio in Japan's "Energy Supply Structure Advancement Act". Non-fossil value is the value purchased by new electricity retailers to meet the stated target value.

Power, defined by non-fossil values, is obtainable and verifiable, for example, using at least one of the following three means.
(1) Non-fossil certificate (2) Green power certificate (3) J credit

A non-fossil certificate is a certificate that expresses the environmental value of electricity generated by renewable energy.

A green power certificate is a certificate of the environmental value of power generated by renewable energy. A serial number is attached to the Green Power Certificate, making it unique. The green power certificate includes information on the amount of power generated, the period of power generation, the method of power generation, and the date of issuance of the certificate. The green power certificate further includes information on the name of the certification body and the name of the certificate issuer.

J-credit is a system in which the government certifies the emission reduction amount and absorption amount of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide as "credits".

Additionally or alternatively, power defined in non-fossil value may also be obtained and verifiable by the following means.
(4) Power generation using solar power generation equipment owned by the company

As an alternative, the power used in the electric furnace EF may be power defined as a zero-emission value rather than power defined as a non-fossil value. The zero-emission value here is the value for which the carbon dioxide emission coefficient in Japan's "Law Concerning Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures" (hereinafter referred to as the Global Warming Law) is zero. Specifically, the zero-emission value is calculated by multiplying the amount of electricity from the non-fossil fuel certificates procured by the electricity retailer when calculating the post-adjustment emission factor by the "national average factor". A value that can be subtracted from emissions. When power purchasers such as manufacturers report their carbon dioxide emissions to the government based on the Global Warming Law, the carbon dioxide emission factor for power with zero emission value is zero. For example, electricity defined as zero-emission value may be electricity generated by an existing electricity sales company using renewable energy, such as hydropower, or nuclear power. Power, defined as a zero-emission value, is obtainable and verifiable by the following means.
(5) Contracts with electricity retailers (e.g. “Aqua Premium” (registered trademark) and “Aqua Energy 100” provided by TEPCO Energy Partner (registered trademark))

For each of the means (1) to (5) exemplified above, information such as a certificate certifying that the electric power used in the electric furnace EF is defined as non-fossil value or zero emission value is unique It is obtained from a certificate issuing business or a certification authority as unique certification information. The above means (1) to (5) are examples, and can be replaced by any other means that proves that the electric power used in the electric furnace EF is electric power defined by non-fossil value or zero emission value. be.

In the present invention, the method of certifying that the electric power used in the electric furnace EF is electric power defined by non-fossil value or zero emission value is obtained by obtaining the certification information by any of the above (1) to (5). Alternatively, if the certification information cannot be obtained, a method of specifying only renewable energy-derived power using arbitrary certification information (e.g., carbon dioxide emission coefficient (residue)) published by electric power companies, etc. (details will be described later).

Returning to the description of the figures, the steel product is produced from at least one of the following semifinished slabs, for example as shown in FIG.
・Billet 21
・ Bloom 22
・Slab 23

The steel material product manufactured from the semifinished slab may be, for example, at least one of the following products.
・Deformed bars, flat steel, small and medium shaped steel, H-shaped steel (large shaped steel, steel sheet piles)

A mill sheet is attached to the manufactured steel product. A mill sheet is an inspection certificate that proves whether or not a steel product satisfies the specified standards and other requirements. As shown in FIG. 3, the mill sheet includes, for example, the following mill sheet information 31 to 38 and certification information 39.
・Certificate number 31 (unique serial number)
・Manufacturing lot number 32
・Product size 33
・34 pieces
・Mass 35
・ Tensile test result 36
・Bending test result 37
・Chemical composition 38
・Certificate information 39 (here, as an example, the serial number of the green power certificate)

For example, the mill sheet information and the proof information proving that the electric power used in the electric furnace EF is electric power defined by non-fossil value or zero emission value are information processing operated by the manager of the electric furnace EF It is electronically acquired by the device 1 and stored in the storage unit 13 of the information processing device 1 . Alternatively, the mill sheet information and certification information may be manually entered by the user and stored in the storage unit 13 of the information processing device 1 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the information processing device 1 is one of the nodes communicably connected to the network NW. The information processing device 1 can communicate with one or more other information processing devices 2 to 5 via the network NW. Although five information processing apparatuses 1 to 5 are connected to the network NW in FIG. 4, the number of information processing apparatuses is arbitrary. Since the hardware configurations of the information processing apparatuses 2 to 5 are the same as the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 1, description thereof will be omitted here.

The information processing device 1 is a computer such as a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system. Alternatively, the information processing device 1 may be a mobile device such as a mobile phone, smart phone, wearable device, or tablet. As another alternative, information processing device 1 may be a general-purpose device such as a PC, or a dedicated device. "PC" is an abbreviation for personal computer.

The internal configuration of the information processing apparatus 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

Information processing device 1 includes control unit 11 , communication unit 12 , and storage unit 13 . Each component of the information processing apparatus 1 is communicably connected to each other via a dedicated line, for example.

The control unit 11 includes, for example, one or more general-purpose processors including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit). Control unit 11 may include one or more dedicated processors specialized for specific processing. Control unit 11 may include one or more dedicated circuits instead of including a processor. The dedicated circuit may be, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 11 may include an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The control unit 11 transmits and receives arbitrary information via the communication unit 12 .

The communication unit 12 includes a communication module compatible with one or more wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network) standards for connecting to the network NW. The communication unit 12 may include modules compatible with one or more mobile communication standards including LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation). The communication unit 12 supports one or more short-range communication standards or specifications including Bluetooth (registered trademark), AirDrop (registered trademark), IrDA, ZigBee (registered trademark), Felica (registered trademark), or RFID. It may include modules and the like. The communication unit 12 transmits and receives arbitrary information via the network NW.

The storage unit 13 includes, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these, but is not limited to these. A semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM or a ROM. RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. ROM is, for example, EEPROM. The storage unit 13 may function, for example, as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 13 may store information of results analyzed or processed by the control unit 11 . The storage unit 13 may store various kinds of information regarding the operation or control of the information processing device 1 . The storage unit 13 may store system programs, application programs, embedded software, and the like. The storage unit 13 may be provided outside the information processing device 1 and accessed from the information processing device 1 .

The network NW is, for example, a distributed ledger (Hyperledger) type blockchain network. In this case, all nodes connected to the network NW hold the same data as one or more blocks in chronological order.

The network NW may be a public network connected to the Internet, or may be a private network.

The storage unit 13 of the information processing device 1 stores the block chain BC as shown in FIG. The blockchain BC is shared by all nodes in the blockchain network NW. Here, for convenience of explanation, a case where the block chain BC includes a first block B1, a second block B2, a third block B3 and a fourth block B4 is explained. The number of blocks included in the blockchain BC is arbitrary.

The first block B1 is the first block of the blockchain BC and contains transaction data T1. In FIG. 6, one block contains three pieces of transaction data. However, the number of transaction data contained in one block is arbitrary.

The second block B2 contains the hash H2 of the previous block, the first block B1, the nonce value N2 corresponding to the hash H2, and the transaction data T2.

Descriptions of the third block B3 and the fourth block B4 are omitted to avoid redundant description.

The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 defines the mill sheet information of the steel product and the electric power used in the electric furnace EF at the time of manufacturing the steel product for each production lot of the steel product as a non-fossil value or a zero emission value. It is integrated with certification information that proves that it is electric power. Here, the certification information can be obtained by the following method. In order to realize that the electric power used in the electric furnace EF is electric power defined as non-fossil value or zero emission value, first, the electric The power consumption per ton of steel is calculated from the actual power consumption in the factory corresponding to one heat of the furnace EF. The calculation may be performed by the control unit 11 (for example, a process computer) or may be performed manually (the same shall apply hereinafter). One heat is molten steel that is melted once in the electric furnace EF. Steel products are manufactured by lot from the melted molten steel. Next, by multiplying the power usage per ton of steel by the product weight stated in the target mill sheet, the actual power usage used to manufacture the target steel product is calculated. By making the power of this actual power consumption non-fossil power, it is possible to realize and prove that the power used in the electric furnace EF is the power defined by the non-fossil value or zero emission value.

As a specific method of integrating the mill sheet information and the certification information, the control unit 11 associates the manufacturing lot L1 with the block B1 of the blockchain BC and the mill sheet information M1 as shown in the manufacturing lot DB of FIG. and the certification information V1 are stored in the storage unit 13 . That is, the mill sheet information M1 and the certification information V1 are registered as transaction data in the block B1 of the block chain BC. The registered information is stored as tokens of the blockchain BC. Alternatively, the certification information V1 may be embedded in the mill sheet information M1.

The control unit 11 can disclose the mill sheet information M1 and the certification information V1 to arbitrary third parties on the Internet or the like.

An information processing method by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

In step S1, the control unit 11 collects mill sheet information about the production lot of the steel material product, and proof information certifying that the electric power used for the production of the production lot is the electric power defined by the non-fossil value or the zero emission value. to get

In step S2, the control unit 11 integrates the mill sheet information and the certification information by associating them.

In step S3, the control unit 11 registers the associated mill sheet information and certification information in the network NW (eg, blockchain network NW). Step S3 is optional.

In step S4, the control unit 11 publishes the associated mill sheet information and certification information on the Internet. Step S4 is optional.

[Modification]
In the above embodiment, the mill sheet information and the certification information are stored in the storage unit 13 in association with each other. However, there are cases where the control unit 11 cannot obtain certification information such as a green power certificate. Therefore, if the power generation process of the power purchased by the power consumer is a process that uses renewable energy and energy other than renewable energy in combination, the control unit 11 controls the regeneration of purchased and used power. Can only be specified for electricity from renewable energy sources. Such identification can be performed using any certification information (eg, carbon dioxide emission factor (residue)) published by the power company or the like. The control unit 11 may store the certification information in association with the mill sheet information.

As described above, if the power generation process of the power purchased by the power consumer is a process that uses a combination of renewable energy and non-renewable energy, renewable energy out of the power purchased and used Only the derived power can be specified. The reason why it is possible to specify is as follows at the 15th Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Advisory Committee on Natural Resources and Energy, Electricity and Gas Business Subcommittee, Electricity and Gas Basic Policy Subcommittee System Review Working Group (November 28, 2017). This is because In other words, as a result of the auction of non-fossil certificates subject to FIT (Feed-in Tariff), if it is assumed that there will be non-fossil certificates that remain unsold without being contracted, the non-fossil certificates will be It cannot be carried forward from the fiscal year onwards and will be treated as "surplus non-fossil electricity equivalent", but the zero emission value of the environmental value related to the surplus non-fossil electricity equivalent will be borne by the consumer as an FIT surcharge. In light of the fact that the amount of electricity sold is not immersed, it was decided to distribute it according to the share of the electricity sales volume.

In addition, the CO2 emission factors of electric power companies for the current fiscal year may be published after the end of the fiscal year. In this case, the carbon dioxide emission factor for this year can be calculated by the control unit 11 according to the following procedure.
Procedure 1. Based on the carbon dioxide emission coefficient and non-fossil power ratio of the previous year, we estimate the amount of non-fossil power that can be used on the basis of the previous year, and reflect the estimation results in the planned power plan to be used at the factory this year. As an alternative example, the non-fossil power ratio may adopt the renewable energy ratio target value for the current year described in the energy environment plan published by any local government.
Procedure 2. Depending on the customer's request, non-fossil power for this fiscal year will be appropriated.
Step 3. When the carbon dioxide emission factor for this fiscal year is released, we will adjust and finalize the performance of the allocation of non-fossil electricity and the remaining electricity other than non-fossil electricity.

If the power generation process is a process that uses renewable energy and non-renewable energy in combination, the following method is used to identify only renewable energy-derived power among the purchased and used power. can be obtained by In order to realize that the electric power used in the electric furnace EF is electric power defined as non-fossil value or zero emission value, first, the electric The power consumption per ton of steel is calculated from the actual power consumption in the factory corresponding to one heat of the furnace EF. The calculation may be performed by the control unit 11 (for example, a process computer) or may be performed manually (the same shall apply hereinafter). One heat is molten steel that is melted once in the electric furnace EF. Steel products are manufactured by lot from the melted molten steel. Next, by multiplying the amount of molten steel melted at one time by the renewable energy ratio disclosed by electric power companies, etc., the amount of molten steel produced from electric power derived from renewable energy is calculated. The control unit 11 associates and integrates the used renewable energy-derived power amount with the mill sheet of the steel material product manufactured using the molten steel manufactured from the renewable energy-derived power.

[effect]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, steel products are manufactured in an electric furnace using electric power defined by non-fossil value or zero emission value. Here, the steel product manufactured in the electric furnace is composed of a single material of steel only, and the main raw material is iron scrap. Also, most of the energy (for example, 80% or more) used in electric furnaces is electric power. Under these circumstances, by procuring electricity defined by non-fossil value or zero emission value (e.g. green electricity) and using it in electric furnaces, the carbon dioxide emitted from coke used in the manufacturing process can be offset. be able to. In other words, offsetting means calculating the non-fossil power consumption equivalent to energy such as coke, adding the calculated non-fossil power consumption to the mill sheet, and calculating the non-fossil power used in the manufacture of steel products. This is done by associating with steel products as It is possible to manufacture carbon-neutral steel products. In addition, even in small lots, it is easy to prove that steel products are carbon-neutral. Therefore, PR (advertisement, promotion of understanding) activities such as increasing selling prices are easy.

In contrast, the manufacture of automobiles and the like uses different parts from different raw materials. Also, the energy used during manufacturing is diverse, including electric power, gas, and petroleum. In this case, to certify the product as carbon neutral, all individual parts must be certified as carbon neutral. Therefore, the proof is very complicated and difficult. Although eco-labels based on LCA evaluation can be used to achieve carbon neutrality, the impact is weak because the evaluation is qualitative. Moreover, the evaluation is only an overall evaluation. Therefore, in the case of manufacturing automobiles and the like, it is highly likely that it will be difficult to manufacture carbon-neutral products.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the information processing device 1 provides mill sheet information about the production lot of the steel products and that the electric power used for the production of the production lot is electric power defined as a non-fossil value or a zero emission value. Associate with certification information to prove. With this configuration, a steel product in which mill sheet information about a production lot and certification information proving that the electricity used to manufacture the production lot is electricity defined as a non-fossil value or a zero emission value is associated. , it is easy to prove that the manufactured steel product is carbon neutral.

Also according to this embodiment, the network NW includes a blockchain network, and the associated mill sheet information and proof information are registered in the blockchain. When blockchain technology is used in this way, registration information is distributed and shared by all nodes. That is, no central administrator is required. Therefore, the following effects are obtained.
・Difficult to tamper ・Since there is no single point of failure, there is no system down ・Easy to share data with other system . Furthermore, since all data is recorded in the blockchain, traceability is ensured.

Further, according to this embodiment, the control unit 11 publishes the associated mill sheet information and certification information on the Internet. With this configuration, the information processing device 1 can externally indicate that the steel product is carbon neutral.

Further, according to the present embodiment, if the power generation process of the purchased power is a process that uses renewable energy and energy other than renewable energy in combination, the control unit 11 controls the power generated from the renewable energy. and correlating certification information that certifies that the identified power is renewable energy-derived power with the mill sheet information for the production lot of the steel product. With this configuration, the information processing device 1 can prove that the steel product is partially carbon-neutral even if energy other than renewable energy is used in the power generation process.

Although the present disclosure is described with reference to figures and examples, it should be noted that various variations and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art based on the present disclosure. Other modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, functions included in each means or each step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and a plurality of means or steps can be combined into one or divided.

For example, in the above embodiment, a program for executing all or part of the functions or processes of the information processing device 1 can be recorded in a computer-readable recording medium. Computer-readable recording media include non-transitory computer-readable media, such as magnetic recording devices, optical discs, magneto-optical recording media, or semiconductor memories. Program distribution is performed by selling, assigning, or lending a portable recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) on which the program is recorded. Also, the distribution of the program may be performed by storing the program in the storage of an arbitrary server and transmitting the program from the arbitrary server to another computer. A program may also be provided as a program product. The present disclosure can also be implemented as a program executable by a processor.

A computer temporarily stores, for example, a program recorded on a portable recording medium or a program transferred from a server in a main storage device. Then, the computer reads the program stored in the main storage device with the processor, and executes processing according to the read program with the processor. The computer may read the program directly from the portable recording medium and execute processing according to the program. The computer may execute processing according to the received program every time the program is transferred from the server to the computer. The processing may be executed by a so-called ASP type service that realizes the function only by executing the execution instruction and obtaining the result without transferring the program from the server to the computer. "ASP" is an abbreviation for application service provider. The program includes information that is used for processing by a computer and that conforms to the program. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to a computer but that has the property of prescribing the processing of the computer corresponds to "things equivalent to a program."

NW network 1 information processing device 11 control unit 12 communication unit 13 storage units 2 to 5 information processing device

Claims (4)

An information processing method by an information processing device,
The information processing device includes a control unit, a communication unit, and a storage unit, and is communicably connected to a network via the communication unit,
By the control unit,
Obtaining property information indicative of at least one of chemical properties and physical properties of the manufactured product;
Obtaining certification information certifying that at least a portion of the electricity used to manufacture the product is electricity defined as non-fossil value or zero emission value;
Storing the property information and the certification information in the storage unit in association with the manufacturing lot of the product;
Issuing a certificate indicating the property information and the certification information for the production lot;
Information processing method including. In the information processing method according to claim 1,
A method of information processing, wherein the chemical properties include chemical constituents of the product. In the information processing method according to claim 1 or 2,
The information processing method, wherein the physical properties include at least one of product dimensions, mass, tensile test results, and bend test results of the product. In the information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The information processing method, wherein the property information includes specified requirements.

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