Asia & Oceania
29 | WOW News
Breakthrough extraction technology giant step towards Russia’s independence in beryllium production Russia – Beryllium extracting technology developed at Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) has opened new bright prospects for an entire Russian industry. In early January a true sensation was announced: the first Russian beryllium had been obtained not in the laboratory but in an operating unit of the enterprise—the Siberian Chemical Combine of the Rosatom Corporation. Alexander Dyachenko, TPU’s vice rector for research and innovation said “We have made a technological breakthrough because the development of new technologies for beryllium production would enable the steel industry, which used beryllium, to become more independent. Beryllium is used in tenths of a percent in copper alloys, but without those tenths of a percent one can make only a penny from this copper, perhaps, that’s all.”
The proposed technology is based on the TPU patented ammonium fluoride method of processing beryllium concentrate and differs with closed looped cycle production and an opportunity to extract from the concentrate both metallic beryllium and associated commercial products: synthetic calcium fluoride and silicon oxide. The process is practically half as expensive, is friendly to the environment, and, additionally, is waste-free. This is the main feature, the main economic advantage of the technology regarding the standard sulfuric acid. Beryllium is a very hard metal; there are only a few harder metals—osmium, uranium and tungsten. It also has other unique properties. For instance, sorts of steel doped with beryllium acquire additional amazing properties such as increased friction coefficient; beryllium is transparent to X-rays and absorbs sound waves almost completely. When extracting beryllium even precious emeralds are considered a by-product. This metal that adds unique properties to alloys is used in almost all industries. And hence there is a price: purified beryllium is more precious than gold. It costs approximately US$1000/kg. The cost of high-purity sorts of vacuum-refined beryllium reaches US$5,000/kg.
Alexander Dyachenko and Beryllium production technology
The two teams were a collaboration of students and technical advisors from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Applied Science and Art and Design. Focusing on fuel cell technology, they designed and developed two distinct cars using hydrogen as fuel. The two cars competed in two categories: 1) prototype and 2) urban concept. UiTM retained double victories when both
Beryllium is a strategic material, but until recently Russia has been purchasing it exclusively from abroad. There is a plant in the United States, a factory in China, and the third enterprise, built in Soviet time, remains on the territory of Kazakhstan. At the same time in Russia, the production of beryllium is completely absent; while in Russia large mines of bertrandite ore have been developed near the Lake Baikal. The world’s production is up to three hundred tons of beryllium per year. Russia needs no more than twenty. At the Siberian Chemical Combine only one hundred grams of beryllium has been obtained so far; but it is not quantity that matters, rather it is the fact that the technology was proven in practice. And its introduction to life is only a matter of time.
Hindustan University students bag the best innovation award for solar vehicle
An analogue of this component has not yet been invented. Beryllium is added
Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2015: UiTM retains double victories Malaysia – Teams Eco-Planet and EcoSprint from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) represented Malaysia in the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2015, held at Luneta Park in Manila, Philippines, from Feb 26–March 1, 2015. Both teams won 2 coveted trophies for the second time.
everywhere by a little. But without it a range of high-tech constructions, both the military and civil, are already unthinkable. It is indispensable for gyroscopes in different sighting systems, applied in armaments. In addition, it possesses unique nuclear properties. It is a wonderful neutron reflector and moderator, used in spacecraft and research reactors.
cars topped the respective category. The university had clinched the same awards last year. This year’s winners triumphed over 120 student teams from 17 countries across the AsiaPacific and Middle East—including new entrants from Australia, Bangladesh, Oman and Saudi Arabia. For the prototype category, the Eco-Sprint team’s car recorded its best attempt at 315.6 km/m3 (km/l). The team honored the victory to the tragedies of MH370 and MH17. Meanwhile, team Eco-Planet retained its title in the urban concept category with the best attempt of 105.8 km/ m3 (km/l). Each team took home a trophy, a certificate and a cash prize of US$2,000
India – Hindustan University Team Taiyo Zen—comprising a group of 25 students from Automobile, Mechanical, Electronics and Instrumentation, Electrical and Electronics, Electronics and Communication Departments— won the Best Innovation and Acceleration Awards for their solar vehicle at the nation-wide Electric Solar Vehicle Championship. The students also secured the second place in Design and Weight. Electric Solar Vehicle Championship is conducted by the Imperial Society of Innovative Engineers, Punjab, India, with an aim to spread the message of sustainable development and address the requirement of an alternative form of fuel which can be used in majority of the vehicles in the near future.