Laboratory of Composite Materials of Atomic-Hydrogen Energy.

The laboratory is created in 2022 as a new innovative division of the Institute of Applied Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) based on the optimization and reorganization of the scientific potential of the "Physical and Chemical Materials Science" Research Center of NASU (Decision of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine dated 06.09.2021 No. 198). Purpose – investigating and manufacturing new composite materials with controlled operational characteristics for the protection of the military, population, and critical infrastructure objects in conditions of both mechanical and radiation damage.

New composite materials can be used as:

• Absorber elements of nuclear reactors with an extended period of use;
• materials of nuclear-hydrogen energy systems based on 4th generation reactors, which will ensure Ukraine's energy independence;
• radiation protection materials;
• armor plate in protection systems;
• composite materials for various industrial purposes.

Scientific interests, research topics:

Fundamental scientific research (theoretical block) and applied scientific research (experimental block) in the field of physical and chemical materials science and modern problems of condensed state physics with a focus on irradiation.

Theoretical unit:

• Mechanisms of formation of composite materials and structures that are promising for use in technologies and nuclear energy. Study of the effect of radiation and external fields on the formation and evolution of a defective structure (atomic diffusion aspects).
• Fundamentals of size effects in nanodisperse multicomponent materials (surface effects, size-dependent diagrams of nanophases, size-dependent reactive diffusion in thin films and multilayers, size-dependent phase transformation hysteresis, Monte Carlo and 3D modeling of phase transition kinetics).
• Mechanisms of influence of physical fields and radiation on systems including biomolecules and biocells, in order to develop methods of their effective use or protection against them (biological effects).

Experimental unit:

• Experimental and industrial methods of obtaining a wide range of oxygen-free ceramics of high strength and plasticity, which are promising for the manufacture of parts of new type atomic reactors.
• Optimal modes of synthesis of model alloys with a controlled phase composition and parameters of reactive hot pressing for obtaining nanocomposite ceramic materials based on borides or oxides.
• Experimental samples of compounds with high operational characteristics necessary for the use of these materials in nuclear reactors.

Achievements, skills and expertise:

Theoretical part:

• The effect of powder dispersion and vacancy saturation on the radiation stability and phase changes of α-Fe-Fe spherical Fe nanoparticles during irradiation: the possibility of a radiation-induced polymorphic transition is shown, and the zones of radiation stability of Fe nanoparticles are determined.
• A fundamental effect in multicomponent condensed nanoscale systems related to chemical depletion and phase diagrams have been revealed: solubility curves on phase diagrams, in contrast to solubility curves of massive materials, do not meet the condition of thermodynamic equilibrium and show only the beginning and end of the phase transformation of the first kind. As part of the statistical-thermodynamic model of a subregular solution, size-dependent solubility curves in Cu-Ni particles were calculated and constructed for cases with radii of 25 nm and 80 nm.
• New regularities of size influence on formation competition, stabilization and growth of various phases during cyclic thermal annealing have been revealed: together with the kinetic hysteresis in the systems, the existence of a thermodynamic hysteresis loop is possible, which does not disappear when the rate of temperature cycling is reduced to zero values and depends on the dimensions and kinetic restrictions on the formation of a new phase.
• The mechanisms of mass transfer, which occurs due to the exothermic interaction between titanium carbide (TiS) and boron carbide (B4C) during hot pressing at temperatures of 1600–1800oC and pressures of 30 MPa and 8 GPa, have been determined.

Experimental part:

• Ceramic composite materials of the composition В4С–HfВ2 have been synthesized by reactive hot pressing of the charge. The phase composition, structure, and mechanical properties of the obtained composites in a wide concentration range (B4C + (3.9 – 34.7 vol.%) HfB2) were studied.
• New heat-resistant ceramic materials of the composition TiB2 - Al2O3 and TiB2 - Al2O3 - B4C with high physical and mechanical characteristics have been obtained by means of reactive hot pressing of low-melting charges.
• Composites based on pure bacterial cellulose and carbon nanotubes were made and the interaction of non-dispersed aggregates with thin layers of cellulose gel mesh was revealed - the formation of "cocoons". Using X-ray structural analysis, it was found that the introduction of carbon nanotubes into the matrix of bacterial cellulose leads to a decrease in the average size of crystallites and the degree of cellulose crystallinity.

Key persons, Responsible Staff

Theoretical part

• Computer stations with support for CUDA parallel calculation technology
• Scanners and printers connected to a local network.

Experimental part:

• 1. Microhardness tester PMT-3.
• Optical microscopes of the MIM-8 type.
• Installation for hot pressing with resistive heating without a protective atmosphere.
• DRON-3M installation for X-ray phase analysis.
• Infrared spectrometer (type: IKS-29), laser (type: IAG), mass spectrometers.
• Microscope M-200.

Key publications and Patents (selection):

Publications:

1) Shirinyan A.S., Bilogorodskyy Y.S., Krit O.M. Phase stability of spherical Fe nanoparticles under radiation saturation with vacancies. Nuclear Physics and Atomic Energy. 2022. 23. P.255-262. jnpae-2022-23-0255-Shirinyan.pdf (kinr.kiev.ua)
2) Shirinyan A.S., Bilogorodskyy Y.S., Wilde G. Melting loops in the phase diagram of individual nanoscale alloy particles: completely miscible cu-ni alloys as a model system. Journal of Materials Science (Springer). 2020. Vol. 55. P. 12385–12402. DOI 10.1007/s10853-020-04812-2 URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10853-020-04812-2
3) Oleksii Popov, Vladimir Vishnyakov, Leigh Fleming, Maxim Podgurskiy and Liam Blunt. Reaction sintering of biocompatible Al2O3-hBN ceramics. ACS Omega. 2022, 7, 2, P.2205–2209. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.1c05749
4) Popov O., Avramenko T., Vishnyakov V. Thermal conductivity and thermal shock resistance of TiB2-based UHTCs enhanced by graphite platelets // Materials Today Communications. 2021. 26. P.101756. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2020.101756
5) Danylenko S, Marynchenko L, Bortnyk V, Potemska O, Nizhelska O. Use of Highly Dispersed Silica in Biotechnology of Complex Probiotic Product Based on Bifidobacteria. Innovative Biosystems and Bioengineering, 2022, 6, 1, P.16-24. URL: http://ibb.kpi.ua/article/view/256179
6) L.V. Marynchenko, O.I. Nizhelska, A.S. Shirinyan, V.A. Makara. Prospects of using of biological test-systems for evaluation of effects of electromagnetic fields. Innovative Biosystems and Bioengineering, 2019, 3, 2, 114–124 http://ibb.kpi.ua/article/view/169259/pdf_54

Patents:

1. Nizhelska O.I., Kogutyuk P.P. et al. Patent of Ukraine for utility model No. 147811 "Method of obtaining composite material for protective equipment", (application number: u 2020 07493). 16.06.2021, Bull. No. 24. URL: https://iprop-ua.com/inv/a9918o6d/
2. O.I. Nizhelska, V.A. Makara et al. Patent of Ukraine for utility model No. 137597 "Method of fixation of microorganisms" (application number: u 2019 04494). 25.10.2019, Bull. 20. URL: https://iprop-ua.com/inv/pdf/hj8r2kne-pub-description.pdf

International projects, Cooperation:

1. Memorandum of understanding and organization of scientific cooperation», dated 3 July 2019, with Institut für Materialphysik, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster. Group of Professor Gerhard Wilde, gwilde@uni-muenster.de.
2. Scientific cooperation with the Center for Engineering Materials, the University of Huddersfield (United Kingdom), group of Professor V. Vishnyakov). URL: https://research.hud.ac.uk/institutes-centres/materials/.
3. Memorandum on international scientific cooperation, research and exchange of experience with the Institute of Biology of the Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, People's Republic of China (dated November 3, 2017).
4. Head of the laboratory is invited EU expert for Horizon-2020 (https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en).

Contacts, address:

Laboratory of Composite Materials for Nuclear-Hydrogen Energy of Institute of Applied Physics of NASU, room 606, building 3, Prospect Nauki, 46, Institute of Physics, Kyiv - 03028, Ukraine

Institute

Research

Training of scientific personnel