Currently, due to the high rate of development of the rare-earth industry, new sources of raw materials are being mastered and new technologies for obtaining rare-earth metals (REM) are being developed. Studies have shown that REM in kaolinite clays of Alexeevskoe deposit in Kazakhstan and Egypt deposits in Sinai Peninsula (K-Watt, K-Tech) and in Aswan region (KB,KPL) are mainly represented by erbium (Er). Production of Er concentrate is considered as a by-product in a comprehensive middlings processing of kaolinite clays to produce alumina and building materials. The possibility of obtaining Er concentrate by sulfuric acid leaching and sorption concentration methods has been determined. Optimal technological conditions of kaolinite clays leaching is the use of 5% solution of H2SO4, at temperature 50 °C, duration 60 min and L:S ratio = 5. Under these conditions the separation of REM from the main components Fe2O3, Al2O3, SiO2 is achieved. Concentrates were obtained with the content of the sum of REM oxides from 91.3 to 93.4%, in which the relative content of Er was from 64.89 to 90.82%. The results showed that the developed technology can be used for processing of erbium-containing kaolinite clays of various deposits. © 2023 The Authors

Assessing glaciers using recent and historical data and predicting the future impacts on them due to climate change are crucial for understanding global glacier mass balance, regional water resources, and downstream hydrology. Computational methods are crucial for analyzing current conditions and forecasting glacier changes using remote sensing and other data sources. Due to the complexity and large data volumes, there is a strong demand for accelerated computing. AI-based approaches are increasingly being adopted for their efficiency and accuracy in these tasks. Thus, in the current state-of-the-art review work, available research results on the application of AI methods for glacier studies are addressed. Using selected search terms, AI-based publications are collected from research databases. They are further classified in terms of their geographical locations and glacier-related research purposes. It was found that the majority of AI-based glacier studies focused on inventorying and mapping glaciers worldwide. AI techniques like U-Net, Random forest, CNN, and DeepLab are mostly utilized in glacier mapping, demonstrating their adaptability and scalability. Other AI-based glacier studies such as glacier evolution, snow/ice differentiation, and ice dynamic modeling are reviewed and classified, Overall, AI methods are predominantly based on supervised learning and deep learning approaches, and these methods have been used almost evenly in glacier publications over the years since the beginning of this research area. Thus, the integration of AI in glacier research is advancing, promising to enhance our comprehension of glaciers amid climate change and aiding environmental conservation and resource management. © 2024 by the authors.

Relevance: The global transition to electrification of transportation, aerospace, and industry is increasing the demand for efficient, lightweight, and heat-resistant electric motor systems. Advances in additive manufacturing (AM), especially in the field of metal-ceramic composites, are a breakthrough in the field of electric motor modernization. This study examines overcoming the limitations associated with polymer and aluminum structures by integrating metal-ceramic composites into brushless DC motors (BLDC). Objective: To evaluate the practical feasibility, thermal efficiency, and design advantages of 3D-printed metal-ceramic composites for DC motors under standard thermal and electromagnetic conditions. Methods: Three 500-watt motor designs were modeled in Autodesk Fusion 360: a polymer-based motor (PETG, ABS, PEEK via FDM), an engine with a metal-ceramic body based on ALO₃ and ceramic bearings, and a conventional aluminum motor. Each design provided 240 watts of power on 12 windings. Thermal loads, bearing friction, and magnetic fields were evaluated in the simulation. AM methods included SLS, DML, and SLM. Results: The temperature in the plastic engines reached 285.7 °C, in the aluminum engines-117.5 °C, and in the metal-ceramic version-89.9 °C. The composite engine has a thinner body and integrated cooling. Discussion and conclusions: The AM metal-ceramic coating provides excellent thermal control, structural strength and design freedom-an ideal solution for next-generation electric drive systems, despite the higher cost and complexity of processing. © National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2025.

The article presents the results of the functional zoning of the delta of transboundary river Syr Darya, which is located in an ecological disaster zone and is the only watercourse in modern conditions that supplies the remained part of Aral Sea. Under the conditions of global climate change, the territories of river deltas in arid regions are subject to active degradation processes, which are associated both with decrease of their water content and increase of anthropogenic impact. To determine the current condition of Syr Darya river delta landscapes, a component-by-component analysis of its main components was carried out. Based on the assessment of use of delta natural resource potential, the degradation processes associated with the types and intensity of anthropogenic impact in the conditions of arid climate were identified. The conducted studies formed the basis for the functional zoning of the territory of Syr Darya river delta, which is a spatial planning of sustainable land use and landscapes preservation. The developed scheme of functional zoning of Syr Darya River delta allowed to propose a number of measures with allocation of landscapes recommended for conservation, restoration, or sustainable use by the certain type of land use with the minimization of degradation processes. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerlan

The mineral–industrial mega complex (MIMC) in Kazakhstan is described. The place of the complex in the world mineral resources and reserves is shown, and the volumes of the main products of MIMC during the last years are given. The high-priority objectives of MIMC in modern conditions are highlighted. The mathematical models of mineral raw materials at each stage of mining and processing are given. On this basis, recommendations on integrated and comprehensive utilization of mineral resources are given. The technical and economic criteria are substantiated for selecting effective methods for extraction of rare earth metals (REM) from multi-component ores. It is shown that new technologies and equipment adaptable to natural and process properties of a raw material from a particular mineral object can provide high level of REM extraction in order to worthily represent MIMC in the world market of rare earth metals. © Rakishev B. R., 2024.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of soil pollution factors such as heavy metal ions with the incidence of cancer in the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan. Methods: Concentrations of heavy metal ions in the soils of different sites of Kyzylorda region, Kazakhstan, were sampled and correlated with incidence of cancer in 2021. Results: Chromium content in the soil exceeded maximum permissible concentration (MPC) in the samples for all sites except Kazaly and Shieli, and the highest excess of 2.8 MPC was found in Terenozek. Content of copper, lead, and cobalt ions was also increased and varied in the range 1.9-15.4, 1.2-4, and 1.2-2.44 MPC, respectively. In addition, lung cancer incidence was statistically significantly correlated with soil concentration to MPC ratio of copper, cobalt, and lead; colorectal cancer was correlated with soil concentration of chromium. Cases of invasive cancer and mutations were recorded Terenozek and Kyzylorda areas. Conclusion: The higher the soil concentration correlate with higher cancer incidence in Kyzylorda region, Kazakhstan. © (2024), This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International License.

Bottom sediments play a crucial role in the environmental and agricultural management of freshwater reservoirs, acting as repositories for organic matter, chemical elements, and potential pollutants. This study investigates the chemical and granulometric composition of bottom sediments in the Verkhnetobolskoe and Karatomarskoe reservoirs in North Kazakhstan, focusing on the relationships between sediment particle sizes, organic matter, and heavy metal content. Sediment and water samples were collected during winter under ice-covered conditions using specialized sampling equipment and analyzed with advanced spectrometric and analytical methods. The study reveals significant correlations between fine-grained sediment fractions (<0.16mm) and the accumulation of organic matter and heavy metals, including cobalt, arsenic, and chromium, which exceeded permissible concentration limits. These findings underscore the ecological importance of fine sediment fractions as adsorptive sites for pollutants. The study concludes with methodological recommendations for sediment quality assessment and provides baseline data for environmental monitoring and agricultural planning in temperate freshwater ecosystems. © 2025, Unique Scientific Publishers. All rights reserved.

The ab-initio investigations have been performed to comprehensively study the structural, electronic, phonon, thermodynamic and the hydrogen storage properties of Beryllium based cubic hydrides, BeXH3(X=In,Sn,Sb). The structural optimization was performed first to get the properties of the ground state such as lattice constant, bulk modulus, and its pressure derivative for three materials. The lattice constants are found to be 7.499 (a.u.), 7.599 (a.u.) and 7.622 (a.u.) for BeInH3, BeSnH3 and BeSbH3 respectively. The structure is also proved stable from formation energy and phonon calculations. The metallic nature of all hydrides is confirmed from the band structure and density of states. The fermi surfaces are plotted in 3D from the band which cuts the Fermi level. The thermodynamic parameters like specific heat capacities at constant pressure and volume, CP, CV, entropy (S), thermal expansion (α) coefficient, Debye temperature (ΘD), and Grüneisen (γ) parameter have also been investigated for against a range of pressure and temperature. The gravimetric (Cwt%) hydrogen storage capacity, volumetric (ρvol) hydrogen storage density and desorption (Tdes) temperature are also investigated. The Cwt% is, 2.33%, 2.26% and 2.21% for BeInH3, BeSnH3 and BeSbH3 respectively. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd

This study presents a comprehensive 3D numerical analysis of thermal stratification, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer efficiency across six hot water storage tank configurations, identified as Tank-1 through Tank-6. The objective is to determine the most effective design for achieving uniform temperature distribution, stable stratification, and efficient heat retention in sensible heat storage systems, with potential for integration with phase change materials (PCMs). Using COMSOL Multiphysics 5.6, simulations were conducted to evaluate key performance indicators, including the Richardson number, capacity ratio, and exergy efficiency. Among the tanks, Tank-1 demonstrated the highest efficiency, with a capacity ratio of 84.6% and an exergy efficiency of 72.5%, while Tank-3, which achieved a capacity ratio of 70.2% and exergy efficiency of 50.5%, was identified as the most practical for real-world applications due to its balanced heat distribution and feasibility for PCM integration. Calculated dimensionless numbers (Reynolds number: 635, Prandtl number: 4.5, and Peclet number: 2858) indicated laminar flow and dominant convective heat transfer across all the configurations. These findings provide valuable insights into the design of efficient thermal storage systems, with Tank-3’s configuration offering a practical balance of thermal performance and operational feasibility. Future work will explore the inclusion of PCM containers within Tank-3, as well as applications for heat pump and solar water heaters, and high-temperature heat storage with various working fluids. © 2024 by the authors.

The article investigates the problems of mine hazard prevention, identification and control. Acoustic emission signals are one of the important signs of the appearance of deformations in rocks that can cause accidents in mines. Acoustic emission signals are quite broadband in nature. The article considers the task of the possibility of using broadband nature of acoustic emission signals to localize areas in which acoustic signals are generated for early warning of an emerging danger. The results of modeling of the process of localization of hazardous areas are presented. The proposed method is based on the frequency dependence of acoustic signal attenuation in rocks. Moving away from the signal source, not only changes its intensity, but also its spectrum. By measuring the intensity of acoustic signals in several spectral bands and knowing the frequency dependence of signal attenuation, it is possible to calculate at what distance from the receiving points the signal source should be located so that its spectral components would be changed as they are observed at the receiving points. This allows to localize the signal source. It is shown that four signal reception points and intensity measurements in two spectral frequency bands are sufficient to apply the method. It is shown that the proposed method allows not only to determine the coordinates of the local area of fracture formation, but also to restore the spectral characteristics of acoustic emission signals in the area of their occurrence, which can provide information about the mechanism of formation and development of processes of rock destruction. © The Author(s) 2025.