In the context of intensified construction and stricter requirements for the energy efficiency of buildings, the use of thermal insulation materials and technologies is becoming particularly important. One promising area in this field is the use of thermal insulation mixtures, which are versatile, adaptable, and highly reliable in operation. Mixtures based on fillers with a porous structure and materials that impart thermal insulation properties, which provide higher thermal insulation properties, are of great interest. However, the development of dry thermal insulation mixtures is hampered by insufficient study of their physical, mechanical, and operational characteristics. This article presents the results of research work on the development and study of dry building thermal insulation mixtures. A distinctive feature of the work is the creation of a composition of dry building thermal insulation mixtures based on local raw materials, such as diatomite, its thermal modification at a temperature of 900 °C, the use of expanded perlite sand, lime, and Portland cement. Research into the properties of modified diatomite has shown that its surface after thermal treatment differs from the surface of unburned diatomite in that it becomes more active and has a 3–4 times higher increase in strength. Modified diatomite and expanded perlite sand have low thermal conductivity, and this property was used in the creation of building thermal insulation mixtures, which was confirmed by research, as the thermal conductivity coefficient ranged from 0.128 to 0.152 W/m °C. The developed dry thermal insulation lime–cement mixture is intended for both interior and exterior finishing works, which is confirmed by the results obtained for determining the frost resistance of the solution and the frost resistance of the contact zone, and corresponds to the F35 grade and has a strength of up to 3.59 MPa. © 2025 by the authors.

Abstract Climate change, which is caused by increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, poses a serious threat to humanity, impacting economies, societies, and the environment. Carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect, is responsible for climate change and thus must be reduced. Carbon capture, conversion, and storage (CCUS) technology, which involves catalytic, photocatalytic, and electrocatalytic conversions, is a promising method for reducing CO2 emissions and converting CO2 into valuable products. Recent advances in catalytic, electrocatalytic, and photocatalytic reduction of CO2 have highlighted the potential environmental and economic benefits of these technologies. However, the practical application of these techniques is challenging and requires scientific research and engineering efforts to develop efficient materials capable of simultaneously capturing CO2 and converting it into valuable products. Therefore, this review presents a comprehensive analysis of various catalytic systems for CO2 capture and conversion. This review aims to identify the advantages and limitations of catalytic systems for CO2 capture and conversion. In addition, the identified challenges and future prospects in the application of the proposed methods are outlined. Thus, this article covers the current trends and perspectives in the field of combating climate change through efficient CO2 management. © 2024 The Authors

The article provides a detailed examination of public-private partnerships between Satbayev University and drilling tool manufacturer SK Geoservice LLP. It begins by discussing the underlying reasons for this collaboration, such as the demand for innovation and the advancement of drilling tool production. Subsequently, the article analyzes the partners' interactions and their respective roles in enhancing the design and production processes of drilling tool manufacturing. Successful instances of the university's research groups' scientific endeavors being implemented by drilling tool manufacturing experts from the private sector are cited, indicating a high level of cooperation and mutual benefit. The article concludes by highlighting the partnership's positive impact on the drilling tools market's development, private entrepreneurship support and growth in the region, and the training of highly skilled personnel. It suggests that these outcomes create new opportunities for further cooperation and growth. Overall, the article underscores the significance of public-private partnerships in advancing science and technology and advocates for their continued deepening and expansion in Kazakhstan. It also notes that such partnerships contribute to enhancing the quality of education in drilling-related fields and bolstering the competitiveness of Kazakhstani companies in the global market.

In their investment decisions commercial banks and private funds traditionally evaluate projects-based solely on their private returns, while often neglecting social and environmental concerns. More recently, however, climate change fears and rising inequality prompted calls for more environmentally and socially responsible governance of investment activities (ESG initiatives). For example, numerous pension funds and development agencies started shifting investment priorities away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy production. These efforts are hindered by the absence of well-developed techniques for evaluating investment projects in terms of their social and environmental impacts. This study investigates and outlines possible strategies for integrating social and environmental priorities into an investment selection process. We developed project selection and evaluation processes that a national development agency or a public fund could employ to enhance social effectiveness of its investment activities. More specifically, our general pre-investment evaluation procedure includes algorithms for determining optimal investment portfolios, taking in account both standard financial profitability criteria and ESG priorities. Copyright © 2025 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Expert estimates in the Concept of Kazakhstan 2013 transition to green economy forecasted water deficit in the nearest future. The water deficit indicator is the level of water supply identified as the ratio of forecast resources or mineable reserves to water demand. The article presents up-to-date data on water demand of economy branches and urban and rural population need for drinking water, as well as estimated values of water consumption for 2030 and 2040. Taking into consideration that groundwater as a water supply source has some advantages as compared to surface water: higher quality, more reliably protected against pollution and contamination, less exposure to seasonal and multi-annual fluctuations, the level of water supply was assessed as applied to RK groundwater. Taking into account the fact that statistics are presented with a breakdown into administrative regions, and distribution of geological formations is not limited by borders of surface water flow basins or national frontier, GIS-assessment of groundwater resources and water demand of population and economy branches are given in this article by administrative territory system and hydro-economicadministrative zoning of Kazakhstan. As the result of appraising the Kazakhstan administrative regions’ degree of water supply, it was shown that by proven reserves of drinking and service water, the Republic as a whole belongs to countries with a reliable supply of proven drinking and service groundwater reserves, Atyrau and North-Kazakhstan regions are identified as experiencing deficit, and Mangistau and Akmola – as partially supplied. While assessing the degree of supply within limits of hydro-economic basins a conclusion was made that the highest degree of supply with own groundwater resources has Balkhash-Alakol and Yertis (Irtysh) basins. Those experiencing deficit of groundwater is Tobol-Torgai, Nura-Sarysu, and Yesil basins. This research has been funded by the Ministry of Ecology, Geology, and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant No. BR10262555). © 2022, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan. All rights reserved.

This paper reports on the synthesis of thin films of tungsten disulfide (WS2) by сhemical vapour deposition (CVD) using powders of sulfur and tungsten oxide obtained from tungsten metal powder. It is shown that the synthesized ultra-thin 2-dimensional (2D) films of WS2 have appropriate structural and optical properties suitable for their application in the manufacturing of electronic and optoelectronic devices. Proposed method for the synthesis of 2D few-layered WS2 can significantly accelerate the synthesis rate and will make it possible to control the stoichiometry and shapes of nanocrystals by controlling the amount of sulfur by magnetic mechanism. Moreover, obtained fewlayered crystals demonstrate long-term stability to external factors, since the synthesis and the research carried out during the year. During this time, no signs of degradation of the TMDs structure were detected.

In Zhambyl region there is a significant number of self-discharging artesian wells, large majority of which are not equipped with regulating devices. As a result of spouting, a considerable amount of groundwater is lost every year, and fertile land is swamped and salinized, causing considerable damage to agriculture in the region. Assessment of the potential for flowing well operation of pressure groundwater in Merke district has been carried out based on the analysis of the results of the expedition surveys. The capacity of perspective self-discharging wells is 0.536 m3/s and for the growing season is estimated at 6.947 million m3, which, taking into account the average irrigation of 4515 m3/ha allows to provide irrigation of agricultural crops on additional 220 ha. At development of self-discharging wells the main method of irrigation is sprinkling, under which water consumption during irrigation is reduced, there is no discharge, optimal soil water regime is provided and microclimatic indicators in plant development environment are improved. © 2022, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan. All rights reserved.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in natural waterways have significant risks to both ecological systems and human health. The development of effective removal strategies for EDCs that are selective, economical, efficient, and recyclable remains challenging due to the complexity and variability of aquatic environments. Herein, we present a proof-of-concept adsorption approach for removing bisphenol A (BPA), a common EDC, and its derivatives using A-b-cyclodextrin functionalized molecularly imprinted membranes (A-b-CDMIMs). The A-b-CDMIMs were prepared through a straightforward phase inversion method, combining the selectivity of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with the host–guest interactions of b-CD and the solvent-responsive properties of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA). The unique combination of these features in A-b-CDMIMs offers a significant advantage over traditional adsorbents, addressing common challenges such as non-specific adsorption and reduced efficiency in repeated cycles. The maximum adsorption capacity (Qm) of the A-b-CDMIMs for BPA was 73.22 mg g-1, indicating high adsorption efficiency. Furthermore, when combined with a solvent-programmed adsorption-release strategy, the A-b-CDMIMs exhibited remarkable stability and maintained a removal efficiency of approximately 90% even after undergoing five cycles. These characteristics suggest that A-b-CDMIMs represent a cost-effective and sustainable approach for environmental remediation and large-scale water treatment applications. © The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 2025.

Considerable emphasis has been devoted to fabrication of bio-nanocomposites from natural waste resources and recruiting them for low-cost removal of pollutants from water resources. In this research, using dialdehyde cellulose nanocrystal (DCNC) and wool keratin, a highly-beneficial and recyclable biocomposite (Keratin/DCNC) was triumphally fabricated to remove Cd+2 and Crystal violet from water media. Beeswax recycling wastewater, as a culture medium, was exploited to produce bacterial cellulose (BC) at the lowest plausible cost, and keratin was extracted from wool wastes. The adsorption of the adsorbates was optimized and a complete study was carried out on the kinetic, isotherm and thermodynamic aspects of adsorption processes. The adsorbent showed excellent recyclability and maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 695.56 and 1166.67 mg/g for Cd+2 and Crystal violet, respectively. The results proved the favorability of the processes and indicated that Keratin/DCNC has a high potential for being exploited for treatment of waters and wastewaters. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.

This study examined the effect of partially replacing semi-reinforcing carbon black grade N550 (up to 10 pts. wt.) and fully replacing industrial chalk with natural shungite mineral in industrial formulations of elastomer compositions intended for manufacturing various rubber technical products. It has been shown that due to the high content of carbon and silicon components in the composition of shungite mineral micropowders, their use as a filler in elastomer formulations significantly improves the physical and mechanical properties of rubber technical products (RTPs) manufactured using such compositions. It was determined that the use of SM as a partial replacement for carbon black in rubbers intended for molded rubber technical products contributes to a reduction in Mooney viscosity (up to 26.8%) and optimal vulcanization time (up to 23.7%), achieving rubbers with the required set of physical–mechanical properties and with an enhancing sealing capability (up to 19.7%). It has been established that the use of shungite mineral micropowders as a complete replacement for industrial chalk increases the strength of rubber products (RTPs) by up to 18.5% and enhances their resistance to liquid aggressive environments.