Ural Federal University to Launch New Youth Laboratory

The Ural Federal University will have a new youth research laboratory for surface modification of materials. The decision to allocate funds was made by the Expert Council under the Russian Ministry of Education and Science on April 23. In the upcoming years, the laboratory’s specialists will be engaged in research that will help improve the resistance and durability of steel and alloys.

“The laboratory staff will be engaged in the study of surface layers since the main wear starts with them, and they significantly impact the duration of operation of parts. For our work, we plan to purchase a tribometer, a device for surface friction research, with the help of which we will assess the wear resistance of surfaces, among other things. Then we will decide what modern methods can be used to extend the service life of parts: chemical, thermal, or mechanical strengthening, for example, based on intensive plastic deformation,” explains Andrey Skorobogatov, Head of the Laboratory.

According to Skorobogatov, the results of the laboratory’s work will be useful to industry. The specialists plan to start with machine parts but will not limit themselves to just one area. The results of their work will also be useful for aircraft construction, railroad and shipbuilding, agriculture, and other spheres. It is also planned to involve researchers from Tomsk and Berlin in joint research.