CREATORS OF THE METAL OF THE FUTURE

At Ulba Metallurgical Plant, the work on creation of unique products – Beryllium-based intermetallic compounds actively continues.

Binary intermetallic compounds of Beryllium (beryllides) have great potential for use in nuclear and thermonuclear energy, instrument making, aerospace and other industries. Experts, scientists and researchers from all over the world predict a great future for Beryllium intermetallic compounds.

Currently, Beryllium laboratory of UMP Scientific Center is working hard to create unique products for development of new markets.

To date, there are first results in the production of blanks and products from beryllides of tantalum (Ta₂Be₁₇), chromium (CrBe₁₂) and Titanium (TiBe₁₂).

Today, tests and studies of the behavior of Titanium beryllide products continue.

The tests represent alternating thermal effects with different dynamics. This work is being carried out within the framework of collaboration with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT, Germany) in order to substantiate the resistance of Titanium beryllide blocks to variable thermal loads similar to those in which the blocks are planned to be operated in the breeder blanket of the designed DEMO thermonuclear reactor. Exclusivity today lies in the production of experimental blanks on industrial equipment in sizes close to real prototypes.

National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Kurchatov) and Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Almaty) became interested in the unique material from UMP. In collaboration with them, Beryllium laboratory developed an action plan to study the fundamental properties and parameters of Titanium beryllide. In the next 2 years, plant scientists will be engaged in this research, conducting experiments in extreme conditions to find out what else this metal is capable of.