Beryllium-based intermetallic compounds, such as Be12Nb, are attracting growing interest for their high thermal stability and potential to replace pure beryllium as neutron reflectors and multipliers in both fission and future fusion reactors, with additional applications in metallurgy, aerospace, and hydrogen technology. The paper presents the results of an investigation of the thermal treatment and phase formation of the intermetallic compound Be12Nb from a mixture of niobium and beryllium powders in the temperature range of 800–1300 °C. The phase evolution was assessed as a function of sintering temperature and time. A nearly single-phase Be12Nb composition was achieved at 1100 °C, while decomposition into lower-order beryllides such as Be17Nb2 occurred at temperatures ≥1200 °C, indicating thermal instability of Be12Nb under vacuum. Careful handling of sintering in low vacuum minimized oxidation, though signs of possible BeO formation were noted. The findings complement and extend earlier reports on Be12Nb synthesis via plasma sintering, mechanical alloying, and other powder metallurgy routes, providing broader insight into phase formation and synthesis. These results provide a foundation for optimizing the manufacturing parameters required to produce homogeneous Be12Nb-based components and billets at an industrial scale. Additionally, they help define the operational temperature limits necessary to preserve the material’s phase integrity during application. © 2025 by the authors.

The pursuit of rapid and sensitive detection methods for bioactive compounds in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a continuous quest in the field of natural product chemistry. Herein, we report the development of a novel nanocomposite material comprising bismuth molybdate (Bi2MoO6) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), which has been successfully applied to the ultrasensitive and simultaneous detection of the bioactive flavonoids baicalein and chrysin. These compounds, known for their potent anticancer and antioxidant properties, are prevalent in TCM and nutraceuticals. The Bi2MoO6-MWCNTs nanocomposite was meticulously characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV), revealing its structural and functional attributes. The optimized electrochemical sensor, based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with the nanocomposite, demonstrated remarkable sensitivity with a linear response range of 0.001–5.0 μmol·L−1 for baicalein and 0.007–3.0 μmol·L−1 for chrysin, alongside impressively low detection limits of 0.2 nmol·L−1 and 1.4 nmol·L−1, respectively. The sensor’s performance was further validated through its application in the analysis of human serum and Scutellaria baicalensis extracts, showcasing its robust repeatability, selectivity, and stability. This work not only advances the field of TCM analysis but also opens new horizons for the integration of hollow bimetallic oxides with carbon-based materials in electrochemical sensing, offering a strategic approach to the rapid assessment of bioactive constituents in complex matrices. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.

The elastic deformation energy accumulated at the edges of a fault in the earth’s crust in a seismically active area can be released with a small external impact, causing vibrations that propagate in the form of a sound wave through the lithosphere and can be detected on its surface. As a trigger effect that causes such a vibration, an ionization can be used that is created in the deep lithosphere by particles of the penetrating component of cosmic rays. This idea was once proposed in the number of theoretical studies. An experiment to test this hypothesis was started at the cosmic ray facility at the Tien Shan Mining Scientific Station. As a result, short-term sporadic acoustic emission signals were recorded by highly sensitive microphone detectors of the station. Presumably, the origin of this emission can be associated with seismic processes occurring in the area of a deep earth fault, located directly under the station. A statistically significant temporal correlation has been found between acoustic emission and high-energy cosmic ray muon events up to 100 TeV. If the further research in this direction is confirmed, then the effect of stimulated acoustic emission from a seismically active region of the earth’s crust may be of interest for solving the problem of short-term earthquake prediction. © 2022, Eurasian Journal of Physics and Functional Materials. All Rights Reserved.

Development of civilization is directly connected with the use of the Earth's minerals. Even at the Stone, Bronze and Iron ages, it was understood that various things made of minerals could be used as tools after proper treatment. Since the mid-18th century, historical progress was influenced by scientific and technological advancements. In the 20th century, high technologies became implemented, based on various composites of ferrous, nonferrous, noble, rare and rare earth metals, and on various sources of energy. Gradually, the mineral-industrial megacomplex formed as a material and engineering basis of the scientific and technological progress. A mineral deposit as an initial natural object is the predominant component being later on transformed into the mineral-industrial megacomplex. Sectorial complexes operate starting from exploitation of a deposit and finishing with the delivery of an end product to the users of the industry. One of the goals of the science and technology progress is to establish connection between the mineral and industrial sectors taken as the existing branch-wise industrial clusters. In the present historical circumstances, this is mining and processing of natural minerals and manmade materials. The article describes Kazakhstan's industrial complex comprised of the sectors of geological exploration, hydrogeology, oil-and-gas, metallurgy, chemistry, fuel, nonmetals and construction in mining. The lead role of minerals in evolution of science, technology and civilization is shown. The value of a mineral deposit as a source of mineral raw material is substantiated. The definition and meaning of a mineral-industrial megacomplex are given. It is demonstrated that new technologies and equipment, adapted to natural and process properties of raw materials at a specific deposit, can ensure high level of extraction of rare and rare earth metals from this object. © 2025 Publishing house Mining book. All rights reserved.

At present in urban areas the anthropogenic factors impact on groundwater prevails over natural ones. Relevance of the research is determined by the need to make justified management decisions on the drainage of urban areas flooded as a result of industrial and civil construction. The use of mathematical modeling methods allows to simulate changes in hydrogeological conditions during the operation of different variants of drainage systems and choose the optimal drainage scheme. Purpose of the work is to evaluate the efficiency of the designed drainage system with the use of numerical modeling methods to predict flooding process of Pavlodar territory caused by the transformation of the relief as a result of construction and water leaks from the water supply and sewerage. Studies include the development of geoinformation and hydrodynamic models of hydrogeological conditions and solving problems of changes forecasting in groundwater levels as a result of the operation of various drainage systems. Based on the results of the work the determining role of technogenic factors (water leakage from utilities, construction of a dam leading to the CHP, etc.) in groundwater level increase has been confirmed. Four scenarios of the drainage network operation are reproduced, involving various combinations of horizontal drains and drainage wells, the possibility of drainage water into the waste discharge into mined-out open pit. The optimal scheme of water reduction is determined, which consists in the joint use of horizontal drains and existing drainage wells. The performed studies have shown the expediency of using hydrogeological numerical modelling methods in solving problems of evaluating the effectiveness of the designed drainage systems in urban areas.

Kazakhstan possesses a large scale of cereal crops, bulrush, seeded fruits, grasslands and forests which are significant renewable resources for carbon materials. The agricultural sector, upon processing seeded fruits (e.g. apricots), rice, and others, produces large amounts of high carbon content wastes. It is known that obtaining carbon from these biomasses (wastes) is a cheap way of their utilization/disposal. There are existing technologies to produce so-called activated (porous) carbons mainly using thermolysis. Biomass waste could be considered as a potential material source for the preparation of porous carbons, which may have enhanced electrochemical capacitive performance in capacitors and cycling efficiency in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Biomass derived activated carbon (AC) is a promising solid carrier due to its high adsorption capacity specific surface area, hierarchical porous structure, and can exhibit excellent electrical conductivity. The main aim of this study was to research the influence of the properties of different vegetable raw materials, such as apricot stone (AS), rice husk (RH), walnut shell (WSh) on their electrochemical properties. The results of the electrochemical investigations showed good cyclic reversibility and stability. The battery with carbon electrode from walnut shells performed the highest capacity of 1000 mAhg-1 over 150 cycles. Copyright © 2022, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.

Introduction: The safety of drinking water is a crucial issue for human health. Pathogenic bacteria and viruses in poor-quality water contribute to the spread of dangerous diseases such as dysentery, typhoid fever, and poliomyelitis. Ozone technology is increasingly recognized as an eco-friendly and effective method for disinfecting water from pathogens. The aim of the study is to investigate the efficiency of disinfecting pathogenic bacteria and viruses in drinking water using ozone technology and to determine the inactivation of pathogens depending on ozone concentration and exposure duration. Materials and Methods: The study used 11 strains of typhoid bacteria and 36 strains of dysentery bacteria. To disinfect with ozone, 14 mg/L of ozone was added to the water for 5 minutes, and the inactivation levels of the pathogens were studied. The sensitivity of poliomyelitis and Coxsackie viruses to ozone was also evaluated. Scientific Results of the Study: The results of the study showed that ozone inactivated typhoid bacteria by up to 99.95% and dysentery bacteria by up to 99.99%. The poliomyelitis virus was eliminated by 99.99% within 6 minutes, and the Coxsackie virus was inactivated by 99.7% to 99.9% within 15 minutes. The disinfection efficiency was high when the residual ozone concentration was approximately 0.15-0.2 mg/L. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that ozone technology is an eco-friendly and effective method for disinfecting pathogenic microorganisms in drinking water. The research also showed that higher ozone concentrations and longer exposure times significantly improve pathogen elimination efficiency. © 2025, Zibeline International Publishing Sdn. Bhd.. All rights reserved.

Beryllium intermetallic compounds, such as titanium beryllide (Be12Ti), chromium beryllide (Be12Cr), and zirconium beryllide (Be2Zr), exhibit exceptional physicochemical properties, making them promising materials for diverse scientific and energy applications. Among them, Be12Ti is the leading candidate for neutron multiplier use in future European projects employing the Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) concept and solid blanket systems of ITER and DEMO-type reactors, due to its high melting point, radiation-induced swelling, low activation, and excellent corrosion resistance. To broaden the scope of material selection, exploring alternative compounds has gained importance. Having properties similar to Be12Ti, chromium beryllide Be12Cr demonstrates potential as a possible option, including high thermal and radiation resistance, although its corrosion resistance in vapor-gas medium requires further research. Beyond fusion applications, beryllides have potential in other domains. For example, Be2Zr exhibits remarkable properties for hydrogen energy, such as forming stable hydride phases, making it an excellent candidate for hydrogen storage systems. These investigations are especially relevant for advancing hydrogen and fusion energy technologies in Kazakhstan. Ulba Metallurgical Plant JSC, a leader in beryllium material production, synthesizes not only Be12Ti, Be12Cr and Be2Zr, but also less studied beryllides. This study performs a comparative analysis of high-temperature corrosion in beryllides with varying compositions. A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the corrosion mechanisms under vapor-gas mediums with different isotopic compositions using non-isothermal heating across a wide temperature range. Key features of beryllide corrosion were revealed, including time-dependent changes in sample mass and gas-phase composition during linear heating. Corrosion behaviors of different beryllide compositions were established, and temperature-dependent reaction rates determined. These findings enhance understanding of beryllide corrosion properties, providing a scientific basis for their potential in fusion and hydrogen technologies.

One of the global problems of our time is climate change. This problem is relevant not only at the level of individual states, but also on a global scale, having a significant impact on both natural ecosystems and socio-economic development of mankind. In the presented article, a comprehensive study of the impact of global warming on the climate of Almaty region, located in the south-east of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has been conducted. To analyze trends, the non-parametric MannKendall test in the R Studio software environment was used, which allowed us to assess the statistical significance of changes. Additionally, using Climpact software, climatic indices were calculated from daily meteorological data reflecting extreme climatic events. Based on climate scenarios presented in the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), modeling of possible multi-year changes in air temperature and precipitation in the region was performed using the QGIS geoinformation system. The obtained results indicate the presence of stable trends of climate change in Almaty region and emphasize the need to take into account regional climatic changes. Projections based on various socio-economic scenarios show a possible increase in air temperature by the end of the 21st century, which emphasizes the relevance of integrating climate risks into the processes of strategic planning and natural resource management. The results of the study can be used for adaptation measures and decision-making in the fields of sustainable development, agriculture, water resources and environmental protection. , 2025.

Information on vitamin C—ascorbic acid (AA)—content is important as it facilitates the provision of dietary advice and strategies for the prevention and treatment of conditions associated with AA deficiency or excess. The methods of determining AA content include chromatographic techniques, spectrophotometry, and electrochemical methods of analysis. In the present work, an electrochemical enzyme-free ascorbic acid sensor for a neutral medium has been developed. The sensor is based on zinc oxide nanowire (ZnO NW) arrays synthesized via low-temperature chemical deposition (Chemical Bath Deposition) on the surface of an ITO substrate. The sensitivity of the electrochemical enzyme-free sensor was found to be dependent on the process treatments. The AA sensitivity values measured in a neutral PBS electrolyte were found to be 73, 44, and 92 µA mM−1 cm−2 for the ZnO NW-based sensors of the pristine, air-annealed (AT), and air-annealed followed by hydrogen plasma treatment (AT+PT), respectively. The simple H-plasma treatment of ZnO nanowire arrays synthesized via low-temperature chemical deposition has been shown to be an effective process step to produce an enzyme-free sensor for biological molecules in a neutral electrolyte for applications in health care and biomedical safety. © 2023 by the authors.