The topicality is shown to improve the processing technology of complex polymetallic raw material containing a considerable amount of toxic impurities of arsenic and lead. Results on pressure leaching the mattes acquired after reduction smelting the dusts of OAO Sredneural’skii Copper Smeltery (SUMZ) by solutions of copper sulfate are discussed. These mattes contain a considerable amount of lead and arsenic. According to the data of X-ray phase analysis of matte samples, phases of sulfides (PbS, PbS·As2S3, Cu2S, FeS, and (Zn,Fe)S) and arsenides (FeAs2, Cu3As, FeAs, and Cu0,85As0,15), as well as inclusions of metallic copper, are revealed in them. Optimal parameters of matte leaching by copper sulfate solutions are the temperature of 150–180 °C, acidity from 5 to 30 g/dm3, and copper concentration of 14–32 g/dm3. This process made it possible to extract 85 % As into the solution, while copper and lead remained in the cake in this case.

The formation of precipitates of dibutyldithiophosphate–diisooctyldithiophosphate of nickel(II) and iron(II) are investigated by the potentiometric method. Solubility products for Ni-containing and Fe-containing precipitates of ammonium dibutyldithiophosphate and diisooctyldithiophosphate are calculated. It is shown that an increase in temperature differently affects the deposition process, notably, solubility for complexes of Fe(II) ions decreases overall the ionic strength range (I = 0÷0,75), while it decreases for Ni(II) ions only at low values of this characteristic (I = 0÷0,25), and the precipitate dissolves at a high ionic strength. Thermodynamic characteristics of the precipitate formation of dibutyldithiophosphate–diisoocryldithiophosphate of iron(II) and nickel(II), notably, the variation in the Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy are calculated based on the data on the solubility product. It is shown that the solvation of components exerts the determining effect on the mentioned process, and it is largest in range I = 0,50÷0,75 in the case of iron(II) ions and at I = 0÷÷0,25 in the case of nickel (II) ions.

To search the ways of solving the problem on decreasing the prime cost of producing metallic calcium, it is proposed to consider its aluminothermic production by the example of the CaO–Al system. The thermodynamic analysis implemented for this system showed that the aluminothermic reduction of calcium from its oxide is technically performable under a pressure of 5–10 Pa and temperature of 1200–1500 °C. It is revealed that the implementation of reduction under the residual pressure lower than 1 atm (101,3 Pa) considerably lowers the thermodynamic temperatures of reaction beginning. It is established that only three reactions, in the course of which, calcium aluminates 3CaO·Al2O3, 5CaO·3Al2O3 (12CaO·7Al2O3), and CaO·Al2O3 are formed, can be used for practical purposes. It is proposed, depending on the final state, to separate the process into the «low-temperature» one (up to 1200 °C, the calcium yield is no higher than 64,3 %) and «high-temperature» one (up to 1500 °C, up to 75 % Ca). It is planned to further confirm these data experimentally.

Continuous extrusion (the Konform method) of a noncompact aluminum material of the Al–Mg system is investigated. The experimental data on the variation in temperature and energy-power process parameters are found. The analysis of the variation in temperature and hydrostatic pressure in the zone of the deformation treatment is implemented. Seven zones, which qualitatively characterize the compaction of a noncompact material, are revealed during this analysis. An essential nonuniformity of the hydrostatic pressure in the deformation region, which conditions the inhomogeneity of the properties of prepared billets, is observed.

The results of studying a new combined process of continuous casting and deformation for manufacturing bimetallic strips are presented. A procedure for calculating parameters of the manufacturing process and installation for the production of bimetallic strips is proposed. Stresses in the deformation region of metal of the cladding layer when producing steel–aluminum bimetal are determined. To evaluate a new manufacturing technology of bimetallic strips and bimetal quality, experimental investigations of fabricating steel–aluminum bimetal using a pilot installation are performed.

The results of studying the influence of manufacturing modes of sheets 1,5, 2,0 and 3,0 mm thick made of V-1461 Al–Li alloy on the
microstructure, crystallographic orientation, and anisotropy of properties are presented. It is established that the deformed structure is characteristic of all studied samples, and sheets 3.0 mm thick have partially recrystallized structure, those 2,0 mm thick have unrecrystallized structure, and those 1,5 mm thick have mainly recrystallized structure. The preferential crystallographic orientation of the samples 1,5 mm thick is [110](200), that of samples 2,0 mm thick is [110](110), and that of 3,0 mm thick is [210](110). All the sheets possess insignificant anisotropy of properties irrespective of thickness, and extremely low anisotropy index (μ < 0,4) is characteristic of them. These facts determine the liability of aluminum–lithium alloys to the preferential development of deformation over the sheet thickness, which leads to its premature thinning and lowers admissible forming in the course of drawing and stretching.

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) of Pd–Cu–Si and Pd–Ni–P system were formed from the melt in 1970s–1980s. However, in view of the extremely high cost of the main component (palladium), they were out of special interest for scientists and engineers for a long time. Relatively recently, BMGs in a form of macroscopic-size ingots here fabricated in alloys based on industrial metals (iron, copper, magnesium, and titanium), which opened wide possibilities for their application. BMGs possess high strength, hardness, wear resistance, elastic deformation, and corrosion resistance. In this study, a review of publications is presented and main scientific achievements in this field are described. It is noted that main scientific problems, which are not solved completely, are the description of the BMG structure as well as vitrification and plastic deformation, while the technical problem, which attracts attention of scientists in many countries, is an increase in plasticity and impact fracture toughness of these materials.

A one-stage manufacturing technology of aluminum-ceramic skeleton composites by combining the processes of self-propagating hightemperature synthesis (SHS) of a porous skeleton formed by the MAX phase of the Ti2AlC composition and its impregnation by the aluminum melt under the pressure (SHS compaction). A composition of the exothermic charge 2Ti + C + 22,5 wt % Al + 10 wt % TiH2, which provides the formation of a porous skeleton of the Ti2AlC phase without impurity phases by the SHS technology, is selected. It is shown that when impregnating the hot SHS skeleton with aluminum, new phases are formed such as the MAX phase (Ti3AlC2), titanium carbide (TiC), and titanium aluminide (Al3Ti). However, the content of the basic MAX phase remains high, and the ceramic component of the material consists of Ti2AlC by 76 %. When analyzing the microstructure, it is revealed that the composite has certain residual porosity after the impregnation and cooling. The influence of the impregnation pressure (q = 22, 28 and 35 MPa) on the distribution of the aluminum content over the height and radius of the diametral sample section is investigated experimentally. It is shown that the nonuniform Al distribution over the sample bulk is caused by the nonuniform pressure and temperature fields as well as different compactibility of hot inner and colder outer sample parts. The degree of compaction of characteristic zones is leveled as the impregnation pressure increases, and composition inhomogeneity over the sample bulk decreases. The difference of aluminum concentration over the sample bulk at q = 35 MPa does not exceed 5 %. By the hardness level (HB ≈ 150 kg/mm2), the SHS-compacted aluminum-ceramic skeleton composite based on the Ti2AlC MAX phase corresponds to high-strength Al–Zn–Mg–Cu aluminum alloys.

Fabrication conditions of NiAl, NiAl–Cr and NiAl–Cr–Mo–W alloys by joint aluminothermic reduction of initial metal oxides are investigated. Thermodynamic characteristics of accompanying reactions are determined. The temperature dependence of the isobaric potential change (ΔG0, kJ/mol) of reduction reactions of oxides point to high formation probability of alloys. It is revealed by differential thermal analysis that the reduction of metal oxides enters the active phase after aluminum is melted at ~650 °C and progresses according to the heterogeneous mechanism in a temperature range of 800–1100 °C. The optimal composition of the initial charge, which provides the maximal yield of metals into alloys, is established. It is found experimentally that the yield of metals into alloys constitutes 85–92 wt.%. Synthesis products are identified by the elemental and X-ray phase analyses as intermetallic compounds of the Ni–Al system, which contain inclusions of chromium, molybdenum, and tungsten. It is shown that the concentration of inclusions varies in a range of 1,5–6,5 wt.%. The microhardness of alloys is determined to vary from 3546 to 7436 MPa depending on the content of alloying elements.