Ural Federal University: The University Successfully Develops Chemical Technologies

Ural Federal University is one of the top ten Russian universities in the Chemical Technologies field. In this area, UrFU ranked 8th in the Index of Inventive Activity of Russian Universities 2021.

According to Mikhail Varaksin, the Head of the Institute of Chemical Engineering of UrFU, the success is based on the university’s intensive work for the state corporation “Rosatom” (Yuriy Zaykov, Head of the Department of Electrochemical Productions of the Institute, is in charge of this work).

“In particular, much work has been done to develop pyrochemical technology and equipment for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel from fast-neutron reactors. The basic technological operations for pyrochemical reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel have been developed. We experimentally worked out the modes of basic operations of the technological scheme using mock-ups of pyrochemical devices: high-temperature processing of such waste, “metallization,” refining remelting, electrolytic refining, and “soft” chlorination,” says Mikhail Varaksin.

Mikhail Varaksin also notes that the project to develop new materials and innovative technologies for creating a new generation of solid oxide electrolysers for hydrogen production has great prospects.

As a reminder, this year UrFU has improved its position in the Index of Inventive Activity of Russian Universities. The university moved up from the 12th position and entered the group of 9-11 along with St. Petersburg and Samara universities.