On September 10-11, 2024, the First All-Russian Conference "Cermettech: Ceramic and Cermet Materials, Promising Technologies and Devices" was held at the facilities of the Ural Federal University (UrFU) in Yekaterinburg of the Sverdlovsk region. The event was organized by Rusatom Metal Tech LLC (an integrator company in the field of Metallurgy of the Rosatom's Fuel Division), the Institute of High-Temperature Electrochemistry of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHTE UB RAS) and the UrFU.
To date, Russia is facing an urgent issue of creating the production of modern powders based on zirconium dioxide for the manufacture of high-tech ceramic products. Ceramic materials are widely used in high-tech industries, including energetics, aircraft engineering, medicine, radio electronics, chemical and rocket and space industries. Ceramics based on zirconium and hafnium compounds are characterized by high strength, heat resistance, wear resistance, and chemical inertia – such products manufactured by the Rosatom's Fuel Division will become a Russian alternative to modern foreign analogues.
Representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Industry and Science of the Sverdlovsk Region, TVEL JSC, Science and Innovations Private Institution, Rusatom Metal Tech LLC, the Institute of High-Temperature Electrochemistry of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHTE UB RAS) and the UrFU spoke at the panel session "Ceramic and Cermet Materials: Import Independence Strategies for Implementation of Strategic Development Tasks of the Russian Federation".
The speakers discussed the main problems in the ceramic materials industry, ways to solve them by combining the efforts of business, production and science, financing mechanisms for promising research programs and features of interaction between research organizations and production and federal and regional executive authorities.
According to Alexey Shmykov, the First Deputy Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region, the conference has become an important communication platform for exchanging experience, competencies and forming a consolidated knowledge base in the production of ceramic and composite materials based on ceramics and metal.
"Under the leadership of Governor Yevgeny Kuyvashev, the Sverdlovsk Region is among the 20 pilot regions forming scientific and technological development programs. The close cooperation of scientific organizations, universities and businesses helped us form a reliable foundation for implementing projects that will contribute to achieving the country's process leadership. One of the promising areas is the creation of new domestic materials based on ceramics and metal," said Alexey Shmykov.
Alexey Dub, the Scientific Director of the "Materials and Technologies" Scientific and Technological Development Priority Direction, Rosatom State Corporation, drew attention to the importance and relevance of the transition to the use of ceramics as a full-fledged structural material for the manufacture of target products.
"Currently, Rusatom Metal Tech LLC is implementing projects in the field of ceramic materials based on zirconium and hafnium compounds as part of the product strategy of the Fuel Division in the field of metallurgy. Together with the IHTE UB RAS, we are forming a research center for ceramic materials, which will reduce the development time of new products by maximizing the use of scientific and technical resources and infrastructure, as well as resources of large businesses," shared his plans Andrey Andrianov, Director General of Rusatom Metal Tech LLC.
Yuri Zaikov, the Scientific Director at the IHTE UB RAS, PhD in Chemistry, Professor at the UrFU, pointed out the importance of the agenda raised at the conference: "The development of powder, ceramic and cermet materials and technologies for their production are among the key ones for implementing the scientific and technical development strategy of the Russian Federation and achieving the advanced development. The conference became an excellent opportunity to establish contacts between specialists to implement new joint projects and initiatives, demonstrated a high level of interest in this topic and opened new horizons for future research and development."
Special attention was paid to attracting talented young specialists to the field of research and development. The UrFU students and postgraduates were invited to the conference. The experts shared their opinions on the current development pathways of young scientists in Russia and talked about ways to attract talented students to the industry through the popularization of engineering and technical disciplines among young people, involving them in solving priority tasks for the industry and the country.
Reference
The Fuel Division of the Rosatom State Corporation (Rosatom's TVEL Fuel Company) includes enterprises for the manufacture of nuclear fuel, conversion and enrichment of uranium, production of gas centrifuges, as well as research and development organizations. As the sole supplier of nuclear fuel to Russian nuclear power plants, TVEL provides fuel to a total of 70 power reactors in 15 countries, research reactors in nine countries around the world, as well as transport reactors of the Russian nuclear fleet. Every sixth power reactor in the world is powered by TVEL fuel. Rosatom's Fuel Division is the world's largest manufacturer of enriched uranium, as well as the leader of the global stable isotope market. The Fuel Division is actively developing new businesses in the fields of chemistry, metallurgy, energy storage technologies, 3D printing, digital products, as well as decommissioning of nuclear facilities. Rosatom's industry integrators for additive technologies and energy storage systems have been created within the Fuel Division. http://www.tvel.ru
Rusatom Metallurgical Technologies LLC is a divisional integrator of the TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom in the Metallurgy direction. The tasks of developing the metallurgical business of the Fuel Company include, in particular, expanding the customer base in Russia and abroad, developing production facilities, and creating new alliances and partnerships. Enterprises specializing in the manufacture of products made of refractory and light metals, as well as alloys based on them, are the technological partners of Rusatom Metallurgical Technologies LLC. The integrator consolidates the competencies of TVEL JSC enterprises in the field of metallurgy: ChMZ JSC, MSZ JSC, NCCP PJSC, Elemash Magnet LLC, and NPO Centrotech LLC. The scientific potential, technological competencies, and qualified personnel of enterprises make it possible to carry out work on the launch of mass production of new materials and promising product ranges, as well as promptly respond to the needs of leading industries and high-tech companies.
The issue of import substitution and ensuring the advanced development of domestic industry is important. Upgrading and increasing the production of ceramic materials (in particular, for aircraft engines and gas turbines) is one of the priorities. Rosatom and its enterprises are actively involved in this work.
