Non-nuclear materials and isotope products

"VNIINM, JSC" is engaged in the creation and development of non-nuclear technologies and products for key industries, including aerospace, metallurgy, oil and gas, and medicine

"VNIINM, JSC" develops technologies for obtaining various types of isotope products, production of superconducting and functional materials, surface modification, and is also engaged in additive manufacturing.

The combination of scientific potential and technological capabilities of specialized laboratories allow "VNIINM, JSC" to create new knowledge-intensive products demanded by the market.

The Institute is engaged in research of isotopic composition of substances and production of isotope products. The carbon isotope13 C (carbon-13) produced by the specialists has found application in diagnostic medicine. The isotope allows to detect functional disorders in the human body. Another isotope obtained at "VNIINM, JSC" -15 N (nitrogen-15) in addition to its application in medicine has become an important component of MNUPN fuel. Transition to15 N with14 N as a component of this fuel will prolong the fuel campaign, reduce the volume of tritium-containing waste, which will reduce the load on the infrastructure that ensures safe operation of reactor plants.

"VNIINM, JSC" has developed a system for tritium removal from process and atmospheric gas streams. Tritium removal equipment allows to reduce the level of volumetric activity of tritium- containing gas by a million times. The use of this unique system will increase the level of safety in the operation of thermonuclear plants or other devices containing tritium.

Technologies in the field of surface modification have found their application in various products and assemblies for the nuclear industry. A striking example was the project on creation of tolerant fuel for which full-scale fuel element cladding with chromium (Cr) and cyanide- chromium (CN-Cr) coatings, which enhance the characteristics of alloys, were produced from zirconium alloy E110.

The Institute's specialists participated in the creation of a domestic 3D printer that prints products made of shrink-free ceramic materials using layer-by-layer cladding technology. As a pilot sample, a full-size mockup of a silicon carbide fuel assembly shank was printed on this machine. The mockup demonstrates the Institute's capabilities in 3D printing, in manufacturing complex products from composite materials that meet all industrial requirements

"VNIINM, JSC" is also working on creation of technologies for production of rare-earth materials and new generation composite materials, and is actively engaged in restoration of beryllium production at the site of the Institute.

BERYLLIUM FOILS AND X-RAY WINDOWS

JSC «VNIINM» is engaged in production of vacuum-tight beryllium foil and X-ray equipment windows. The products are used in high-precision research equipment. Beryllium is part of structural materials used in the space industry and astrophysics. It also makes it possible to create sparkless tools for the oil and gas industry. The Institute's scientists are preparing a technological process for producing beryllium on an industrial scale.

X-ray windows manufactured by the institute's specialists successfully passed resource tests in tent-type X-ray machines. JSC «VNIINM» manufactures products with a high level of beryllium purity in terms of X-ray contaminants. The production process includes grinding and polishing of surfaces.

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

JSC «VNIINM» has a production base for creation of composite materials. The newest equipment and experience of development of a wide class of metals, oxides, intermetallides, ceramics allows to create new composite and ceramic matrix materials with specified properties and increased technical and economic characteristics.

Among the Institute's projects is the creation of a site for the production and research of new-generation sealed fuel element cladding tubes based on silicon carbide (SiC). The promising cladding is reinforced with a braided frame made of continuous silicon carbide fiber, which also finds application in many high-tech industries - microelectronics production, power plants, aircraft construction and other areas.

SUPERCONDUCTIVITY TECHNOLOGIES

JSC «VNIINM» is engaged in the development of designs and manufacturing technologies for composite low-temperature (based on niobium-titanium and niobium-tin) and high-temperature superconductors (HTSC) (based on magnesium diboride and pnictides).

The Institute's technologies are used to create starting materials and semi-finished products for the production of various superconductors, as well as components for second-generation HTSCs in the form of targets.

Ceramic targets make it possible to obtain superconductors whose current-carrying capacity exceeds the capabilities of low-temperature conductors in low magnetic fields by a factor of 1.5 and by a factor of 10 in high fields.

The Institute is also developing cables based on niobium-titanium (Nb-Ti) for quantum computers. In industrial conditions, resonator-grade niobium ingots have been obtained, on the basis of which electric field devices are created for accelerating elementary charged particles: protons, ions and electrons.

The competences of the Institute are confirmed by more than 40 patents obtained.The designs and industrial technologies for manufacturing composite single superconductors
(strands) developed by the Institute's staff are used:

in current-carrying elements of the magnetic system of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor ITER,
at the NICA gas pedal complex,
in the Large Hadron Collider modernization project,
in the magnet of the Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) detector of the FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) gas pedal complex,
in the design of NMR tomographs.

ISOTOPE PRODUCTS

JSC «VNIINM» is engaged in technology development in the field of production of tritium-based radiation sources. Tritium products include beta radiation sources, beta-voltaic energy sources, tritium targets, and tritium water.

These technologies for the separation of isotopes of light masses, primarily hydrogen, boron, carbon and nitrogen, find application in medicine - in the creation of diagnostic medical devices for the detection of tumor tissues, as well as for applicators of radiation therapy. The technologies are also used in microelectronics, the space industry, and also find application in promising projects in the nuclear industry.

FUNCTIONAL AND PROTECTIVE COATINGS

JSC «VNIINM» is one of the leaders on the Russian and foreign markets in the field of development of technologies for application of protective and functional coatings for a wide range of applications, which allow to produce products with a radically improved price/quality ratio.

Functional and protective coatings developed by the Institute significantly improve the characteristics of products, including making them more wear-resistant, protect them from corrosion, high temperatures, and increase the service life of finished products.

«VNIINM» technologies are actively used in aviation - to protect turbines, aircraft engines,fuel tanks, hydraulic units and landing gear. Multilayer nanostructured coatings are most in demand in the nuclear industry; they are used to protect transportation packing sets when working with aggressive media.

REVERSE ENGINEERING

Reverse engineering is a technology of obtaining products and materials based on a ready-made sample. The Center of Reverse Material Science of «VNIINM» JSC performs works on complex research of products and materials with the possibility of recreating the object of research with improved properties.

Reversible material science allows customers in nuclear and other industries to create a complete analog of a product.

One of the latest successfully implemented cases of the Center for Reversible Materials Science is the development of technology for the production of balls for hydraulic fracturing. After analyzing the chemical composition of imported balls for hydraulic fracturing, a suitable alloy for ball manufacturing was proposed.

«VNIINM» specialists analyze materials, including digital modeling, which makes it possible to find out how the product will behave under given conditions, with subsequent proposal of implementation options:

production of small series in «VNIINM» JSC;
organization of production at the enterprises of the industry;
support of technology development at another enterprise.

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