Home – Home – Jornals – Atmospheric and Oceanic Optics 2017 number 5

Using the Selector PC application and a stationary flow reactor, we studied the process of formation of magnesian skarns at the contact of dolerites with carbonate-salt deposits. The physicochemical parameters of metasomatic processes were estimated by studying the localization of skarn ore shoots and mineral assemblages in the deposits of the Angara-Ilim type. The action of magmatic fluids on the system dolerite-magnesian salt deposits and dolerite-carbonate-salt deposits resulted in zonal columns of infiltration magnesian skarns. The computation was carried out using a dynamic multireservoir model of a flow reactor with a constant temperature gradient and a uniform pressure. We have established that changes in the C/H ratio and Cl content in the fluid source affect the composition of the produced mineral assemblages. Depending on the temperature during the formation of skarns, different mineral assemblages are produced: diopside, enstatite, anorthite, quartz, ilmenite, hercynite, and pyrrhotite at 1040-1010 ºC; monticellite, forsterite, magnetite, geikielite, periclase, spinel, calcite, and graphite at 980-740 °C; and calcite, dolomite, phlogopite, halite, and graphite at 710-380 °C. Wollastonite is observed in the rear zone of magnesian skarns. We examined the temperature-dependent sequence of formation of different types of silicates, spinels, and Ti-containing minerals in the metasomatic column. The computation results show that during crystallization, the tholeiitic magma releases a fluid phase with C/H = 0.1-1.0, amounting to 1.5-2.0 wt.%.

Comprehensive studies of mineralogy, fluid and melt inclusions, and gas phase in minerals from a representative collection of peridotite xenoliths that underwent metasomatism and convective partial melting in the mantle wedge beneath Avacha Volcano were used to simulate interactions between mantle wedge material and magmatic fluids of constant and variable compositions at different depths, as well as metasomatic effects of fluids derived from subduction slabs. The obtained virtual dynamic patterns of metasomatic zoning across the mantle wedge show how composition variations of fluids and PT conditions at their sources influence the facies of metasomatized mantle wedge harzburgite. The compositions of the Avacha xenoliths and crustal rodingite from Kamchatka compared with results of physicochemical modeling suggest that eruptions of Avacha Volcano brought metasomatized material of the upper mantle wedge to the surface. The rocks underwent multistage metasomatism along cracks in a relatively narrow temperature range. Such processes are apparently common to seismically deformed permeable lithosphere above magma reservoirs. However, the mineralogical zoning of the Kamchatka crustal rhodingites differs from that in cracked metasomatic peridotite above the sources of magmatic fluids in the mantle wedge beneath the Kamchatka arc.

Modeling of fluid-magmatic systems in a suprasubduction mantle wedge is considered for the case of Kamchatka with reference to data on peridotites from other known subduction and oceanic rock complexes. This modeling has to take account of magma storage in several intermediate reservoirs at different depths, up to six such reservoirs, as in the case of Avacha Volcano. Comparison of available data on melt inclusions in spinels indicates crystallization of the Avacha peridotites in magmatic systems progressively decreasing in temperature (>1200 °C → >1100 °C → >900 °C) and pressure (from 13.8 to 4.5 kbar) in intermediate reservoirs at depths of 30-40 and 15-20 km. The Avacha harzburgites do not belong to primary oceanic mantle as they lack both signatures of high-temperature plastic flow and effects of mantle melts known for sheared mantle peridotites from ophiolite suites. The vP / vS ratio estimated from jointly analyzed P - and S -wave velocities ( vP and vS , respectively), an important indicator for seismic tomographic reconstructions of subduction zones, allows discriminating between regions saturated mainly with liquid (melts) and gas phases beneath volcanoes. Only specially tested tomographic data can provide reliable reference for modeling of mantle wedge processes.

We investigated organic matter (OM) of the Lower Cambrian Sinyaya Formation in the southeast of the Siberian Platform. The studied collection of rocks was divided into groups according to the contents of organic carbon, bitumens, and sulfur and lithologic characteristics. The content and distribution of saturated biomarkers were examined. Lanostanes C30, norlanostanes C29, 28,30-bisnorhopanes, and 2α- and 3β-methylhopanes have been identified in the bitumens. Relationships between the content of organic carbon and the distribution of hopanes, hopane ratios, and 2α-methylhopane index have been established. The conditions of sedimentation, diagenesis, and catagenesis of OM and the generation potential of the rocks have been estimated. It is showb that lanostanes, 28,30-bisnorhopanes, and methylhopanes can be used as biomarkers of the source rocks of the Sinyaya Formation and thus can help to determine the source of bitumens on the northern slope of the Aldan anteclise of the Siberian Platform.

We present results of study of organic matter in the coastal and bottom sediments of the Laptev Sea (Buor-Khaya Gulf). The study has shown the regularities of organic-matter distribution in the shelf zone adjacent to the glacial coast. The coast composed of a glacial rock complex supplies the largest amount of organic material to the sea as compared with other types of the coast. The average content of organic matter in these strata is ~2-3 wt.%. The bottom sediments of the shallow littoral zone are significantly depleted in organic carbon (0.1-0.3%) as a result of their active rewashing and the transition of finely dispersed material (mainly organic one) toward the deep sea zones. The content of organic carbon in the bottom sediments increases to 1-2% as the sea deepens to 7-10 m at 5-12 km from the coast. There are frequent local anomalies of organic-carbon contents (up to 4-5%) in the deltaic zones of the sea. The highest contents of organic carbon (up to 3%) have been found in the recent marine sediments in the central, relatively deep zones of the bays.

The fact that uranium, coal, oil, and other ores occur in the same sedimentary basin has been extensively recognized. By comparing the spatial and temporal relationships among uranium, coal, and hydrocarbons, we found that the ore-bearing uranium and coal layers within the same basin are commonly interbedded or adjacent to each other. In general, however, uranium deposits are spatially distant from oilfields. We analyzed the genetic relationship among oil, coal, and uranium by compiling numerous geological surveys, test analyses, and previous studies of the Ili, Songliao, and other basins in North China. It is considered that the mild and humid paleoclimate should be an important factor affecting the formation of coal reservoir, mudstone as the upper and lower aquifuges, and the host rocks with rich organic matter. Thus, these coal-mining areas occurring at the edges of basins deserve to be studied in detail for uranium exploration. In addition, the metallogenic epochs are roughly similar to the epochs of hydrocarbon migration and tectonic events. These existing data of oil exploration can be used to unravel the regional and local tectonic evolutions of the basin related to uranium mineralization. Finally, a rough relationship between uranium mineralization and hydrocarbons was presented. Note that hydrocarbon is not just beneficial for the formation of uranium deposits but may also inhibit the transportation and mineralization of uranium-bearing materials. Regions with shallow hydrocarbon fields or large quantities of hydrocarbon dissipation are not the ideal exploration locations for uranium.

The paper presents results of 2D mathematical modeling of induced polarization (IP) in the cases of profiling and tomography for piecewise media containing orebodies with different structures, sizes, depths, relaxation times, chargeability, and electrical resistivity. The standard and spectral approaches to data analysis are compared. The cases when analysis of transient IP characteristics yields new information of practical importance are considered. The main features of transient IP characteristics in 2D inhomogeneous media are determined from the modeling results. Analysis of transient IP characteristics yields the best results when the depth of occurrence of polarizable bodies is minimum and their electrical conductivity is an order of magnitude lower than that of the host rock.

This paper presents an extensive review of currently available shallow-depth portable geophysical instrumentation for electromagnetic induction sounding and profiling and the main technical characteristics of the devices. A new ground-based multicoil shallow-depth device with a special arrangement of receiver coils is considered. The latter are placed on the line where the vertical component of the magnetic field from the source coil is zero. The spacing between the source and the receivers is used as a sounding parameter, along with a frequency. This increases the efficiency of the study of the upper section and the contrast between the sounding curves, which simplifies their interpretation. In studies of local anomalous objects, the use of the proposed method and instrumentation significantly improves the quality of geophysical data. The increase in sounding efficiency provided by these devices is demonstrated on both synthetic and real field data.

We describe a setup for modeling hydrate-bearing rock samples and measuring their electrical resistivity at different pressures and temperatures using an AMNB cylindrical four-electrode probe. Methods for modeling hydrate-bearing rock samples and measuring their resistivity are considered. The setup was used in a series of experiments to measure the resistivity of sand samples containing water, ice, or tetrahydrofuran (THF) hydrate. It is shown that when the rock pores contain hydrates and a partially unfrozen aqueous solution of NaCl and THF, the electrical resistivity is determined by the high resistivity of the solution and increases with the formation of hydrate. The presence of THF hydrate in the experimental samples increased their resistivity by 180-320 Ohm·m at a temperature of about 0 °C. After the formation of hydrate and freezing of residual water, the resistivity of the sample is stabilized at 70-80 kOhm·m at a temperature of -15 °C.

Results of magnetotelluric sounding (MTS) in Gornyi Altai are interpreted on the basis of a numerical model of MTS curve distortions in a 3D earth. The distortions are modelled using the Trefftz method permitting the application of models of different degrees of similarity to the test medium (depending on the available computation tools). The major advantage of this approach is demonstrated. There is no need to choose between different MTS curves (transverse and longitudinal, minimum and maximum, undistorted and distorted). Procedures of normalization of these curves become unnecessary. All recorded curves are used in full measure as input data for their inversion. Optimization of the model of the medium with regard to the distortion of MTS curves caused by surface and depth inhomogeneities improves the reliability of geoelectric sections.

Quasistationary approximation is formulated for the problem of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in air, which is considered as a multimode acoustic medium. In the approach suggested, the equation for the envelope of the complex amplitude of the light field is solved numerically. On the basis of numerical experiments, it is ascertained that when powerful laser radiation λ = 1.315 μm is propagating in air, the SBS effect can lead, at a sufficient power, to a significant increase in the angular divergence of laser beams.

Results of simulation of the impulse response of an atmospheric optical communication channel on scattered radiation at wavelengths of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.9 mm are considered. Our analysis shows that the maximal power of the received information-bearing signal is attained at λ = 0.3 mm for base distances between the source and the receiving system of 2-3 km and shorter. For larger base distances and low atmospheric turbidity, the maximum is attained at λ = 0.5 μm. When the atmospheric turbidity is high and the base distances are 3-10 km, the maximal power is observed at λ = 0.5 μm. However, when the base distances exceed 10 km, the maximal power of information-bearing signal is attained at λ = 0.9 μm. For a particular example of laser source and receiver system, the limiting base distance between the source and the receiver and the limiting pulse repetition frequency which is not filtered out by the communication channel are estimated using the results of calculations of the impulse response of the atmospheric communication channel at λ = 0.5 μm.

This paper presents a physicomathematical model for the effect of a flow of air containing ice crystals on a water film moving along the surface of a solid body. Numerical studies were carried out for the case of a cylinder in transverse flow. The influence of the effective viscosity of the suspension of crystals in the carrier water and the finite time of their melting by the hydro-thermodynamics of the solidifying film. In this case, the model used is nonlocal.

The method of characteristics was used within the framework of the kinetic approach to construct an analytical solution of the problem of heat transfer in a channel whose walls were formed by two coaxial cylinders. The main equation was the Williams kinetic equation, and the boundary condition on the channel walls was the diffusion reflection model. The vector field of the heat in the channel was determined, and the specific heat flow through the cross section of the channel was calculated. It was shown that the results obtained for a limiting case, in which the cylinder radii were significantly greater than the mean length of free path of gas molecules, were in good agreement with the results obtained for a plane channel with infinite parallel walls.

The thermal performance of a nanofluid in a cooling chamber with variations of the nanoparticle diameter is numerically investigated. The chamber is filled with water and nanoparticles of alumina (Al₂O₃). Appropriate nanofluid models are used to approximate the nanofluid thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity by incorporating the effects of the nanoparticle concentration, Brownian motion, temperature, nanoparticles diameter, and interfacial layer thickness. The horizontal boundaries of the square domain are assumed to be insulated, and the vertical boundaries are considered to be isothermal. The governing stream-vorticity equations are solved by using a second-order central finite difference scheme coupled with the mass and energy conservation equations. The results of the present work are found to be in good agreement with the previously published data for special cases. This study is conducted for the Reynolds number being fixed at Re = 100 and different values of the nanoparticle volume fraction, Richardson number, nanofluid temperature, and nanoparticle diameter. The results show that the heat transfer rate and the Nusselt number are enhanced by increasing the nanoparticle volume fraction and decreasing the Richardson number. The Nusselt number also increases as the nanoparticle diameter decreases.

This paper describes the block element method for spatial integral equations with a difference kernel in boundary-value problems of continuum mechanics and mathematical physics. The basis of the proposed method is the Wiener-Hopf method, whose generalization for a spatial case is called integral factorization method. The block element method is applied to solve problems in regions with piecewise smooth boundaries containing corner points. The developed method was used to solve the contact problem for a V-shaped stamp occupying the first quadrant. This paper describes in detail the methods of obtaining various characteristics of the solution constructed by reversing the system of one-dimensional linear integral equations typical for dynamics and static contact problems for stamps in the form of a strip.

This paper describes the method of solving the problems of linear viscoelasticity for thin plates under the influence of bending moments and transverse forces. The small parameter method was used to reduce the original problem to a sequence of boundary-value problems solved via complex potentials of the bending theory of multiply connected anisotropic plates. The general representations of complex potentials and boundary conditions for their determination are obtained. The method for determining the stress state of the plate at any time with respect to complex approximation potentials is developed by replacing the powers of the small parameter with Rabotnov operators. The problem of a plate with elliptical holes is solved. The numerical calculation results in the case of a plate with one or two holes are given. The changes of bending moments in time until stationary condition is reached and the influence of geometric characteristics of the plate on these variable are studied.

In this article, a smoothed particle hydrodynamics method is developed to simulate the dynamic process of the impact of two viscoelastic droplets onto a rigid plate. The Oldroyd-B fluid is considered as the rheological model to describe the viscoelastic characteristics. An artificial stress is added into the momentum equation to remove the tensile instability. The solution of the problem of two successive impacts of droplets are demonstrated to be in good agreement with the literature data. The problem of two droplets impacting simultaneously onto a rigid plate is investigated.

The development of macroscopic inhomogeneities in in the form of Chernov-Luders bands and jump-like deformation bands (Portevin–Le Chatelier effect) in plastic metal flow is studied. For these two cases, regularities in the development of deformation inhomogeneity were established, and the kinetics of motion of the fronts of Chernoff–Luders bands and jump-like deformation bands was studied. It is shown that the Chernov–Luders fronts and the jump-like Portevin–Le Chatelier deformation can be considered, respectively, as macroscopic self-oscillatory processes of switching and excitation in deformable media of different nature.

The impact fracture behavior of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) material is investigated experimentally and theoretically. Single-edge notched bending (SENB) specimens are tested in experiments with three-point bending and in the Charpy impact tests. An energy model is proposed for evaluating the HDPE impact toughness, which provides a description of both brittle and ductile fracture.

The problem of the stress-strain state with axisymmetric steady-state deformation of thin-walled tubes is solved using the membrane theory of shells and the model of an ideal rigid-plastic material satisfying the Mises yield condition and the associated flow law. The obtained solution is used together with the empirical relation between the strain state at an arbitrary point of the free surface and the surface roughness parameters at the same point to determine the influence of some compression parameters of the tubes on the surface roughness parameters of the workpiece. The empirical relation is derived assuming that the free surface roughness parameters depend on two independent kinematic variables.

This paper describes a study on the possibility of increasing the efficiency of the resonance method of fracturing an ice cover due to the flexural-gravitational wave interference occurring in simultaneous movement of several air cushion vehicles.

An analytical solution of a plane stress problem for a cantilever beam made of a functionally graded material subjected to uniform loading is constructed. The material is assumed to be isotropic with constant Poisson's ratio and exponentially varying Young's modulus through the beam thickness. Expressions for displacements, strains, and stresses are obtained.

In this work, the stochastic wave finite element (SWFE) method for uncertain media through the second-order perturbation is formulated. A parametric approach for uncertainties is considered and combined to the finite element technique. The stochastic state space formulation is detailed in this work. The originality of this paper is the study of the second-order perturbation. The sensitivity and the precision of the SWFE approach are treated through the second-order perturbation introduced in the structural parameters. The question of the statistics of the propagation constants and the wave modes is considered. Comparisons with analytical results and Monte Carlo simulations are performed.

The energy balance of laser cutting of low-carbon and stainless steel sheets with the minimum roughness of the cut surface is experimentally studied. Experimental data obtained in wide ranges of cutting parameters are generalized with the use of dimensionless parameters (Peclet number and absorbed laser energy). It is discovered for the first time that the minimum roughness is ensured at a certain value of energy per unit volume of the melt (approximately 26 J/mm³), regardless of the gas type (oxygen or nitrogen) and laser type (fiber laser with a wavelength of 1.07 mm or СО₂ laser with a wavelength of 10.6 mm).

Organic synthesis products are widely used in the daily life beginning with medicinal, sweet preparations, lacs, dyes up to plastic, rubber, etc . Benzene that is amongst the top ten largest of the biggest substances of the chemical industry being highly liquid and high priced products. In this regard, this product is manufactured both at petrochemical enterprises and their by-product coking plants. Coal crude benzene contains unsaturated and sulphur compounds and it is required to preliminarily purify it from these undesirable impurities to obtain pure products from it. Even insignificant amounts of sulphur in benzene and toluene when using them in organic synthesis processes cause fast poisoning of the catalyst, and resinous substances formed resulting from polymerization of unsaturated compounds cover the catalyst surface and thereby deactivate it. Analysis of the published works on purification methods of coal crude benzene from unsaturated and sulphur compounds was performed in the present review. The advantages and shortages of the known methods were considered. Prospects of ozonolytic purification of coal crude benzene were demonstrated.

Tellurium reduction in alkaline solutions in the concentration range of tellurite ions of 0.001-1 М was studied by a voltammetric method on updated solid indicator electrodes (Au, Pt, Ni and graphite). It was detected that a change in the form of the cathode current-potential curve was observed for all electrodes at constant alkali concentrations and an increase in the tellurium concentration in solutions above 0.2-0.3 М. It was found that a change in the ratio of hydroxide and tellurite ions concentrations could be one of the probable causes for this. An opportunity of using the studied electrodes for express control of the tellurium concentration in the alkaline electrolyte used to obtain high purity tellurium was demonstrated.

Samples of an Al-Fe alloy of composition of (2.15±0.08) mass %, admixtures of not more than 0.2 mass %, were studied. It was demonstrated by XPA that the intermetallide of composition Al_3.2Fe and polycrystalline aluminium were formed at alloying of metals. The interaction of Al-Fe alloy samples with liquid Ga-In eutectics was studied by methods of scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. It was found that an Al-Fe alloy became activated slower by liquid Ga-In eutectics than polycrystalline aluminium and Al-Ni alloys. The intermetallide phase of Al_3.2Fe composition does not undergo significant chemical changes. It was demonstrated by multiple frustrated total internal reflection IR spectroscopy that aluminium chloride complexes of various compositions were in situ formed during the interaction of activated samples of an Al-Fe alloy with tert-butyl chloride. The complexes showed catalytic properties.

The preparation of new derivatives of polysaccharides showing the biological activity, precisely, antimicrobial properties remains quite a priority task not only in chemistry of high- molecular compounds but also in pharmaceutics and medicine, since some antimicrobial compounds obtained on the basis of natural polymers are superior to synthetic low-molecular weight antimicrobial compounds on some criteria. New water soluble pectin derivatives containing sulphamic groups in their structure were obtained in this work by the interaction of sulphamic acid with polysaccharide aldehyde groups. The structure and composition of the resulting compounds were studied by IR spectroscopy, elemental (nitrogen, sulphur) and X-ray crystal analyses. Sulphamic pectin derivatives with various contents of sulphamic groups were obtained by changing the concentration of sulphamic acid in relation to dialdehyde pectin derivatives. The optimum ratio of reactive components that is -СНО/NH₂SO₃H = 1.0 : 2.5 and the reaction time of 45 min were found. Study results of antimicrobial action of antimicrobial action of the synthesized sulphamic pectin derivatives were presented. The biological activity of the resulting compounds was studied by the disk diffusion method in relation to gram positive and gram positive negative bacteria. Direct dependence of the antimicrobial activity of the studied preparations on the quantitative content of sulphamic groups in pectin was found. It was determined that sulphamic pectin derivatives with a substitution degree of 35.0 showed antimicrobial activity in relation to Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa with a concentration of 50 μg/mL. Antimicrobial action begins to decrease with the decrease in the number of sulphamic groups. Study results of acute toxicity of sulphamic pectin derivatives were presented. According to the results, they can be referred to class V almost nontoxic substances.

The activity in the carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation reaction of МеО _х /М and Pd/МеО _х /Ni-Al/НС catalysts where MeO _x : Al₂О₃, Al₂О₃-СеО₂, Al₂О₃-MnО₂ carrier is applied to Ni-Al/НС (grids made of HC with an evaporated Ni-Al layer) was studied. Samples, in which grids made from fechral and nichrome were used, were prepared for comparison. It was demonstrated that intermediate Ni-Al coating itself serving to increase adhesion of oxides to a metal substrate exhibited the catalytic activity. The most active samples activated and not activated by palladium were determined according to the results of catalytic trials. All catalysts were characterized by X-ray phase analysis, scanning electron microscopy methods. The most active Pd/Al₂O₃/Ni-/HC sample was additionally studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with local analysis.

Potassium sorption processes from aqueous solutions of KH₂PO₄, K₂HPO₄, K₃PO₄, KCl, and KNO₃ by porous substrates of bast and birch bark were studied. The effect of the nature of the salts on potassium sorption was found. It was demonstrated that the investigated salts by their capacity to potassium sorption could be placed in the following row: K₃PO₄ > К₂HPO₄ > KCl > KNO₃ > KH₂PO₄. Comparison of sorption of potassium and phosphates from solutions of phosphorus-containing salts was made. The effect of pH of solutions and the background electrolyte on potassium sorption from various salt solutions was studied. It was found that the application of the background electrolyte exerted a positive effect on potassium sorption from solutions of KH₂PO₄, KCl and KNO₃. It was demonstrated on an example of potassium chloride and potassium nitrate that an increase in the pH of solutions of the salts to 10.7 led to a larger increase in potassium sorption in comparison with the effect reached in the presence of the background electrolyte. It was found that the highest sorption of potassium (А_∞) was reached from solutions of K₃PO₄ and KCl (рН 10.8) and amounts to 32.55 и 30.20 mg/g, respectively. Potassium sorption isotherms obtained under various conditions, for which values of the constant К_L and the limiting sorption А_∞ were determined according to the Langmuir equation, are given. Potassium sorption values were calculated using these significations and compared with the experimental data. It was demonstrated that porous substrates of bast and birch bark showed close sorption activities in relation to potassium. The substrates investigated exceed activated carbon of birch wood.

Assessment of the chemical composition of snow melt water was carried out in the zone of influence of the aerial technogenic load from the largest source of emissions in the territory of the Murmansk Region that is a copper-nickel combine (Monchegorsk area) of the Kola Mining and Metallurgical AO. The results of direct analytical determination in the framework of annual monitoring were complemented by the results of retrospective analysis by means of physicochemical modelling (Selektor program complex). The obtained results testify a change in the deportments of elements in snow melt water when decreasing the level of the multicomponent aerial technogenic load after production modernization. The minimisation of dust emissions and an increase in the efficiency of purification of fume gases from sulphurous anhydride contributed to a shift of the redox potential of snow melt water from the negative to positive region and a transfer of some pollutants elements with a variable valence into the oxidized form. A decrease in dust emissions that exerted the alkalinizing effect contributed to an increase in water acidity and consequently, an increase of the proportion in them of the aluminium ionic form recognized most toxic for biota. The sulphates concentration in the atmospheric deposition of the winter season currently does not go beyond All-Russian weighted average concentrations even in the local area of model objects. Increasing the proportion of copper chloride complexes was noted in snow melt water, a basic pollutant, which testifies a possible increase in its migratory activity that is driven by an increasing effect of sea aerosols when softening the regional climate. The practical significance of the work is expressed in an opportunity to reconstruct element speciation in melt water both during retrospective analyses and planning the procedure of biotesting in engineering and environmental survey and monitoring studies.

Chemical transformations of petroleum extracts of peat wax occurring in the process of mechanochemical treatment (cavitation) of the most typical types of high-moor peat for the territory of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous District - Yugra were studied. It was demonstrated that hydrolysis of ester bonds in the composition of wax molecules proceeded in alkaline media resulting from mechanochemical treatment of peat raw materials. Alcohol groups of waxes formed as result of hydrolysis are subjected to oxidation to aldehyde groups followed by condensation. Peat waxes are capable of entering into reactions with ammonia molecules, which is confirmed by elemental analysis results during the processes listed. It was suggested that free-radical states, as well as hydrogen peroxide formed due to mechanochemical treatment of aqueous alkaline media were a source of an oxidizing agent. Additionally, based on elemental analysis data and IR spectra obtained, a hypothesis was put forward of mainly the aldol condensation mechanism for processes initiated by mechanochemical treatment. A preliminary conclusion was made of the fact that only a part of peat waxes participates in the stated processes, which allows using this type of raw materials more rationally, simultaneously obtaining humic acids and bitumenols from it. It was demonstrated that qualitative characteristics of peat wax isolated from oxidative aminolysis products met requirements for technical conditions imposed on raw peat wax.

The sorption process of carbon dioxide by an ionic liquid monomer (ILM) that is 2-methacryloxyethyl diethylammonium chloride, homopolymer based on it, as well as copolymers obtained by copolymerization of the indicated monomer with styrene and methacrylic acid at the molar ratios of 1 : 2 and 1 : 1, respectively, was studied. A relatively high level of absorptive capacity of ILM in comparison with the homopolymer and copolymers based on it was found. The observed relatively high absorptive capacity of СО₂, of the studied ILM is explained by the interaction of the contrarily charged fragment of the monomer molecule. Thus, a decrease in the absorptive capacity of samples in the transition from the monomer to the homopolymer on its base and further to copolymers distinguished by the content of ILM links in the macrochain composition, and consequently, fragments with opposite charges. It was demonstrated that the sorption process of carbon dioxide of the samples studied was reversible and one could reach complete desorption of CO₂ with the recovery of their adsorptive effect. Based on the results obtained, the ILM indicated and its homopolymer and copolymers on its base can be recommended as sorbents for carbon dioxide adsorption.

Sapropels and carbon-mineral composites obtained by thermal treatment of sapropel at various temperatures were studied by X-ray phase analysis (XPA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), BET and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) methods. It was found that the mineral phase in sapropels formed both elongated layered sapropels particles with fractal dimensions and compact large quartz particles. It was demonstrated that heating sapropels at 300°С led to dispersion and stratification of mineral particles in sapropels, but herewith, the organic phase blocked up the pores formed and hinders an increase in the specific surface of the composite obtained. An increase in heating temperature to 600 °С leads to freeing the porous space from the carbon phase and increasing the total specific surface. A further increase in heating temperature to 900 °С gives partial sintering of the mineral phase and transitioning from fractal volumetric structures to surface ones, herewith, the value of the specific surface of composition materials almost does not change.

It was found that mercury contents in saline soils of Bol’shoye Yarovoye Lake met the average content in solonetz soils of the steppe zone of Altai Territory. Differences between types of soils are explained by the peculiarities of solonetz and solonchak processes. The distribution of mercury in bottom deposits is uneven both along cores on depth of individual wells, and in different wells. The average content of mercury and the value of the Hg/Al ratio in bottom deposits are significantly higher than their values in soils because of local pollution. Low mercury contents and Hg/Al ratios were found in coastal wells only. Factor analysis and pair correlation method detected differences in correlations of mercury between soils and bottom sediments both in granulometric fractions, and the initial samples. Correlation analysis results in the initial samples of soils and bottom sediments give the overall picture of mercury distribution in the sedimentation process. Mercury in soils has positive correlations with the terrigenous component that is its major natural source. A negative correlation with the “carbonate” group (Са, Mg, Sr) and antimony is typical. Mercury in bottom deposits has positive correlations with antimony and manganese, and is bound with the major composition of precipitates indirectly only. These results argue of a change in the deportment of mercury in the sedimentation process, which confirms its local entrance into precipitation from a technogenic source that is accompanied by antimony.

An opportunity for bioremediation of ground water polluted by oil products through a system of observation wells was studied. The activity of bioremediation processes was assessed by a change in the content of nitrogen (ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite) in water, the number of aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms and oil products. Microbial growth was stimulated by the introduction of mineral fertilizers into ground water as sources of N and P. Prior to treatment, the number of ammonifying and hydrocarbon oxidizing microorganisms in water collected from wells at polluted sites did not exceed 10⁵ CFU/mL and 10³–10⁵ CFU/mL, respectively. In response to nutrients feeding that limits the growth, the number of aerobic microorganisms increased by 3–4 orders. The number of ammonifying microorganisms increased to 1.8 × 10⁸ CFU/mL, hydrocarbon oxidizing — 2.3 × 10⁷ CFU/mL. An increase in the concentration of ammonia nitrogen (to the values above 50 mg/L) happened in ground water with delay of 2–6 weeks. Dynamics analysis of the chemical composition of ground water by the data of all wells demonstrated that a concerted fluctuation of the activity of nitrification and denitrification processes proceeded in oil products biodegradation in the active phase, and accordingly, of ammonium and nitrate concentrations. Predicting the chemical composition of ground water using a neural network confirmed the same. The content of oil products in ground water decreased by 65–97 %.

A new gas-phase process of halogen-free dimethyl ether (DME) carbonylation to methyl acetate is a promising eco-pure preparation method of methyl acetate due to excluding methyl iodide, replacing methanol for cheaper raw materials that are DME and the removal of the separation stage of the reaction products of the catalyst and methyl iodide. The work presents studying an opportunity of using promoted by silver or copper as catalysts for this reaction. Catalysts with composition of 1 % Ag/Cs_1.5H_1.5РW₁₂O₄₀, 1 % Cu/Cs_1.5H_1.5РW₁₂O₄₀ и Cs_1.5H_1.5РW₁₂O₄₀ were studied by BET, X-ray phase analysis (XPA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and IR spectroscopy of adsorbed pyridine. It was demonstrated that the specific surface of samples was about 60 m²/g, the concentration of strong BrØnsted acid sites (BAS) was found at a level of 130 μmol/g, the phase composition of the promoted samples fully corresponded to the initial Cs_1.5H_1.5РW₁₂O₄₀ sample and represented a mixture of two phases that are heteropolyacids and acid cesium salt. High concentrations of BAS demonstrate superacid character of the resulting catalysts capable of activating a C-O bond in the DME molecule. Trials of the samples under industrial catalysis conditions (pressure of 10 atm, temperature of 200 °С, the composition of the initial mixture of DME/CO = 1 : 10) demonstrated that a 1 % Ag/Cs_1.5H_1.5РW₁₂O₄₀ catalyst exceeded the activity of the initial acid Cs_1.5H_1.5РW₁₂O₄₀ catalyst in 2 times, the selectivity by the target product methyl acetate is 60 %. The use of 1 % Cu/Cs_1.5H_1.5РW₁₂O₄₀ does not lead to a change in the activity of Cs_1.5H_1.5РW₁₂O₄₀, the selectivity reduces to 40 %. The data obtained can serve as a basis for elaboration of a silver-containing highly effective catalyst for eco-pure halogen-free DME carbonylation to methyl acetate.

An approach was disclosed to the development of mathematical models of industrial processes using quantum chemical calculation methods of thermodynamic parameters of target and side reactions in combination with experimental data analysis of the operation of an industrial transalkylation process that is one of the preparation stages of ethylbenzene. A scheme of transformations in the transalkylation process was elaborated, thermodynamic parameters of target and side reactions were determined, a kinetic model was compiled and its parameters defined. Adequacy of a model implemented in the HYSYS medium was tested resulting from comparison with industrial data. Application prospects of the developed mathematical model for the transalkylation process to increase energy and resource efficiency of ethylbenzene production were noted from the viewpoint of an increase in process selectivity and minimization of costs on developing a given quantity of the products.