– Many presentations dealt with the scientific and technological development of the country. Nowadays, special attention is paid to applied technological developments and practical solutions. Alongside basic-science results, we must not overlook the practical value of research, – emphasized Olga Bakhmet.
In this context, both scientific lectures delivered at the Learned Council meeting came across as highly relevant.
KarRC RAS Director General Olga Bakhmet recapitulated on the General Assembly of RAS Members
Senior Researcher at the Institute of Applied Mathematical Research (IAMR) KarRC RAS Ekaterina Kostikova gave a talk on thermal desorption spectrum modeling. The results produced by Karelian scientists help specialists in hydrogen materials science to model various situations and operating conditions of materials.
The hydrogen energy sphere is developing rapidly, creating a demand for new materials with specific properties depending on the operating conditions. This is necessary for rocketry, building nuclear reactor containments, in the chemical industry, in the energy sector, in particular, for the protection of hydrocarbon pipelines from hydrogen corrosion. Before a development can be put into actual operation, preliminary calculations must be made. Mathematical models and numerical simulation methods can help select adequate models, identify the limiting processes, clarify the interaction mechanisms, and ultimately reduce the cost of expensive experiments.
An efficient experimental method for investigating how structural materials interact with hydrogen isotopes is thermal desorption spectrometry (TDS). The installation the scientists use for their joint research is located at the Institute of Metallurgy of the Ural Branch RAS in Yekaterinburg.
In the experiment, a sample of the material - a thin metal plate pre-saturated with dissolved atomic hydrogen - is slowly heated in a vacuum chamber. A mass spectrometer records the degassing flux. The results are interpretative of the nature of the interaction of hydrogen isotopes with the solid.
Investigation of the resulting spectra by means of various mathematical models helps explain the essentially different physico-chemical causes of different degassing scenarios. The solution to such a problem must be unique, because the results of the experiments will be used in creating real-life structures, such as reactor containment walls.
In addition, mathematical methods permit modeling things that may be difficult to be handled experimentally, in particular multilayer materials or extreme conditions.
Ekaterina Kostikova, Senior Researcher at IAMR KarRC RAS
– The models we have developed proved to be adequate to the physical concepts both qualitatively and quantitatively. We have developed a set of models and algorithms that material scientists can use without having to create specialized software, – told Ekaterina Kostikova.
In studying this problem, Karelian mathematicians, headed by Doctor of Physics and Mathematics Yuri Zaika, collaborate with experimenters from the Kurchatov Institute, Institute of Metallurgy of the Ural Branch RAS, Tomsk Polytechnic University, and Advanced Research Institute of Inorganic Materials. Young-scientist schools and conferences are held in Karelia.
The second scientific lecture focused on studies in geology. Principal Researcher at the Institute of Geology KarRC RAS Alexander Slabunov told about banded iron formations – rock rich in iron and silica. This is the main type of iron ore in the world. Ores of this sort in Russia constitute some 70% of all reserves. One of the largest deposits is Kostomukshskoye. Average annual ore extraction there is about 36 million tons - about 10% of Russia's total.
Within a project supported by the Russian Science Foundation researchers at the Institute of Geology KarRC RAS studied in detail the structure, chemical and mineral composition of the Kostomukshskoye deposit’s banded iron formations and drew conclusions regarding the formation environments of these rocks. These data are crucial for reconstructing the appearance of the early Earth, including understanding the composition of ancient oceans and atmosphere and the evolution of life.
Thus, scientists have shown that banded iron formations appeared only in the Precambrian, mainly in an anoxic atmosphere. The main source for their formation was underwater hydrothermal vents - “black smokers”. So, these rocks are evidence of hydrothermal activity in the ancient seas and oceans. First data on the geochronology of zircons were obtained, which are indicative of the ablation age of the sedimentary rocks and their transformation history.
Alexander Slabunov, Deputy Director General KarRC RAS, Principal Researcher IG KarRC RAS
Apart from their significance for basic science, the results of the study may have practical applications.
– The transformation patterns of ferric quartzites are of applied importance. The thing is that the most valuable rocks are formed when magnetite crystals are large in size. The more frequent were the events that transformed and crystallized this mineral, the more valuable is the ore. Thanks to our research, we are able to identify certain zones where more of these transformations have occurred and thus show where the technologically more valuable ores could potentially be located, – explained Alexander Slabunov.
Both lectures elicited a lively response from the audience and the studies were unanimously approved by the KarRC RAS Learned Council.
In addition, KarRC RAS Secretary for Science Natalya Fokina presented the KarRC RAS Learned Council’s action plan and conference schedule for 2025. Editor-in-Chief of the Scientific Journal “Transactions of the Karelian Research Centre RAS” Alexander Titov briefed the Learned Council members on the issue schedule for next year.
