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Adapting steel to conquer the Arctic Steel is mostly used at temperatures above -20ºС. www.enpi-info.eu But what about icebreakers and cargo boats sailing in Arctic regions? And how can you build oil drilling rigs and gas and oil pipelines at temperatures as low as -60°? Russian and European scientists are joining forces to develop new ice-resistant materials through a Cross Border Cooperation project partly financed by the European Union. This story takes us to Saint Petersburg, Russia… Text by ITAR TASS Photos by EPA©EU / Neighbourhood Info Centre
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N Inside view SAINT PETERSBURG - Materials used in arctic areas are operating in a very demanding of the electron environment. Icebreakers, ships and oil and gas pipelines have to withstand temperamicroscope. tures as low as -40°C or even more. The materials have to be safe and cost-effective. The arctic region is also very vulnerable, meaning that even the smallest of accidents can easily lead to much bigger environmental problems than in warmer climates. All this explains why it is so important to study and develop cold-resistant materials that are able to ensure the production and safe use of icebreakers and cargo boats, oil rigs, gas and oil pipelines, as well as windmills…. Russia is very active in the Arctic regions and therefore has a strong track record in terms of conducting research on materials and structures that EU Neighbourhood Info Centre can cope with arctic conditions. Since early 2012 this research is continu- Feature no. 80
ing thanks to the cooperation between Finland and Russia: professors of welding, laser, steel structure, chemical and wind power technology are working together on the project. They come from the Central Research Institute of Structural Materials of Saint Petersburg (PROMETEY), and Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT).
This is a series of features on projects funded by the EU Regional Programme, prepared by journalists and photographers on the ground or the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre. © 2012 EU Neighbourhood Info Centre
Adapting steel to conquer the Arctic
EU Neighbourhood Info Centre – Feature no. 80
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Harmonisation of standards to ensure fair competition
N Scientist Tamara Semicheva.
The Arctic Materials Technologies Development project is partly funded by the Cross Border Cooperation Programme, which is in turn financed by the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument 2007-2013 (ENPI). The total budget for the project is €1.028 million: 70% of the funding (€720,000) comes from ENPI resources while the rest comes from the LUT and the Prometey Institute. Dr. Elena Khlusova, Deputy Head of Prometey, points out that the materials and requirements for investigating the Arctic are different in Russia and in the European Union. “Russia has always pioneered the investigation of the Arctic.” she says. “So, on the one hand, we have enough experience in developing cold-resistant materials which can withstand temperatures of up to -40ºС. On the other hand, Europe has gained a wealth of experience in innovative welding technologies which we could benefit from. Besides, we are all interested in the Arctic remaining an ecologically unpolluted region.” By the end of 2014, the partners will have decided which areas it is feasible to apply the new high-strength structural steels in, analysed the technologies for obtaining functional coatings and current welding technologies as well as harmonised Russian and European standards and criteria for selecting materials for the Arctic and the Far North. Jointly pursued norms and regulations will ensure fair competitive starting points for companies as they compete for projects in arctic areas. The joint Russian and Finnish work programme also includes comparative prototype tests for Russian and European materials, which will lead to joint recommendations on where the materials can be effectively used in the polar regions and on how they can be best applied.
“We would like to prove that modern materials can be both strong and cold-resistant, and thus create a new branch of science: Arctic materials science”
Materials that can be thin, strong and cold-resistant “It is believed that the lower the strength of materials, the higher the cold-resistance. But we have a different understanding now. We would like to prove that modern materials can be both strong and cold-resistant, and thus create a new branch of science – Arctic materials science,” says Tamara Semicheva, Prometey’s Deputy Head for Foreign Connections. Semicheva stresses that the joint work with Lappeenranta University is very promising. “For the first time,” she says, “the task has been set to develop cold-resistant materials applicable in Arctic conditions, which could also be wear- and corrosion-resistant when affected by ice. We could develop a material that would be thinner but retain the required properties”. Sergey Golosienko, a head of department at Prometey, explains that, globally, all materials, including steel, are mostly used at temperatures above -20ºС. If they are to be used in the Arctic, their properties should be designed to withstand temperatures of up to -60 or -70ºС. “If we use special technologies and create a fine-grained material, we will be able to enhance its qualities and use it at low temperatures,” says Golosienko.
“Russia has always pioneered the investigation of the Arctic, and Europe has a wealth of experience in innovative welding Developing the materials is not enough as you also need to weld parts technologies…” together However, developing the material is only one aspect of the task, as the parts then need to be welded together. “Today, we can ensure that both the material and the weld seam have the necessary material structure,” says Mikhail Pronin, who is responsible for welding works. “When we have obtained the material, we have to make a construction from it, which more often than not involves welding. And our task is to
N Materials are designed to withstand temperatures of up to -60 ºС.
Adapting steel to conquer the Arctic
EU Neighbourhood Info Centre – Feature no. 80
“I think that the whole world today is interested in the efficient and safe development of Arctic deposits”
ensure that the properties of weld seam are no worse than those of the main material,” adds Pronin. Another aspect of the project is to develop functional coatings. “We take medium strength steel and apply nano-structured coating. The steel becomes cold-resistant and very strong. Or visa versa, we apply functional coating to strong steel and it becomes cold-resistant,” explains Olga Vassilyeva, a head of laboratory at Prometey. All the research areas comprise an analysis stage where scientists compare existing designs in Europe and Russia, followed by a mathematical modelling stage. After this, experiments, tests and prototype evaluation are performed. Finally, the prototypes are sent to manufacturing and design companies to be tested. Researchers from Prometey hope that the project can be continued as part of the 7th EU framework programme. “In that case, other countries will be able to join us, including Norway and Germany, for example,” says Elena Khlusova, Prometey Deputy Head for Production and Development. “I think that the whole world today is interested in the efficient and safe development of Arctic deposits.”
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N A scientist at work in the laboratory of the Central Research Institute of Structural Materials ‘PROMETEY’ in St. Petersburg.
CBC Cross-border cooperation
Arctic Materials Technologies Development project
CBC, a key priority of the ENPI, seeks to reinforce cooperation between EU Member States and Partner Countries along the external EU borders.
It involves specifying the principles for safe and ecological design and manufacturing of structures and devices used for energy production in the Arctic region. It is part of the South-East Finland-Russia ENPI CBC programme.
Timeframe 2007-2013 Budget € 1.1 billion Objective CBC aims to promote economic and social development in border areas. It strives to address common challenges, ensure efficient and secure borders and promote people-to-people cooperation. The South-East Finland-Russia Programme www.southeastfinrusnpi.fi Budget € 36,185 million Joint Managing Authority Regional Council of South Karelia, Finland
Timeframe 2007-2014 Budget € 1.028 million (EU contribution: € 720,000) Objective to develop new applications for welded steel structures suitable for arctic conditions To find out more Project’s webpage http://www.lut.fi/en/lut/news/2012/pages/20120213_.aspx Cross Border Cooperation: EU Neighbourhood Info Centre project list http://www.enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=171&id_type=10 ENPI CBC South East Finland Russia programme http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/regional-cooperation/ enpi-cross-border/documents/enpi_cbc_south_east_finnland-russia_fact_sheet_ en.pdf
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