Institute of Superhard Materials

Department Structure

The department includes Laboratory No. 7/2 “Technologies of Dispersed Superhard Materials”

Scientific Areas

Creation of dispersed superhard and nanolaminate crystalline materials and consolidated composite functional and structural materials (superconductive, superhard, heat-resistant, electrically conductive, heat-conductive, impact-resistant, wear-resistant, with a high level of absorption of microwave radiation, smart, etc.), the properties of which are determined by a purposefully formed structure, using high and elevated pressure techniques, vacuum and compression sintering, as well as superconducting film materials and Josephson junctions, research into the structure, fundamental physicochemical characteristics of the created materials, establishing relationships between the conditions of production, structure and properties, development of new industrial technologies.

About the Department

The Department of Promising Technologies of Ultrahigh Pressures, Dispersed Materials and Ceramic Sintering was established in 2005 on the basis of several leading divisions of the Institute, which have been conducting scientific activities since the day of the Institute’s foundation. The department also includes a laboratory of advanced high-pressure apparatus, high-pressure equipment, synthesis of superhard materials (SNM); a laboratory of dispersed materials technology, a scientific and technological center of functional ceramics of powder superhard materials.

The scientific developments of the department relate to the field of physical chemistry and physical and technical materials science, in particular, to the creation of superhard crystalline dispersed materials, as well as ceramic functional and structural consolidated materials (superconducting, nanostructured MAX, smart, absorbing microwave radiation, refractory, etc.) using high and ultrahigh pressures and temperatures. The department develops technologies for synthesis, sintering, processing under high and ultra-high pressures, as well as for the extraction of dispersed materials (synthetic diamonds and nanodiamonds, cubic boron nitride) from synthesis products and the improvement of their functional characteristics by chemical, physical and electrochemical methods.

In addition, the department’s activities are aimed at studying the fundamental physico-chemical characteristics of the materials being synthesized, establishing relationships between the conditions of production, structure and properties, and finding areas of their effective practical use. An important aspect of the department’s activities is related to the development and manufacture of unique high and ultra-high pressure devices (up to 15 GPa), as well as devices with large working volumes (4000 cm3), designed for the production of large-sized products (100-150 mm in diameter under pressure up to 2 GPa).

Currently, the department is conducting research on the creation of film high-temperature superconducting materials (Y – Ba – Cu – O and Mg – B systems), Josephson junctions and multilayer sandwich structures based on them. Pioneering work is being carried out in the field of pulsed electroerosion dispersion of conductive substances and compounds (metals, hard alloys, heavy alloys) in order to produce especially pure ultra- and nanodispersed powders, as well as obtaining powder oxides and carbides.

Completed projects
2015–2017 No. DR 0114U007001 “Development and analysis of the efficiency of high-pressure devices of improved designs using punches made of polycrystalline materials based on diamond and cubic boron nitride to increase operating pressures to 15 GPa when heated to 2000 K”. Order of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

2015–2017 No. DR 0115U002070 “Research into the regularities and development of a stable process for obtaining silicon carbide products with an optimal structure and increased physical and mechanical properties by hot pressing with subsequent sintering in silicon vapor”. Order of the NAS of Ukraine.

2016–2018 No. DR 0115U006574 “Development of multifunctional nanomaterials based on nanolaminate MAX phases and assessment of the possibility of their use for the needs of mechanical engineering, hydrogen and nuclear energy”. Order of the NAS of Ukraine.

2016–2018 №DR 0015U006575 “Study of physicochemical modification of the surface of nanopowders of carbon materials that are part of composite coatings of diamond grinding powders for grinding tools with increased wear resistance”. Order of the NAS of Ukraine.

2017–2021 №DR 0117U000389 “Development of heat-resistant and heat-resistant ceramic composite structural materials with low specific gravity and film heterostructures for operation in extreme conditions”. Order of the NAS of Ukraine. 2017-2019 № 0117U000390 “New impact-resistant ceramics based on higher borides”. Order of the NAS of Ukraine.

2018-2020 No. DR 0118U000008 “Nanoengineering of new high-performance superconducting and magnetic ceramic composite materials and film heterostructures”. Order of the NAS of Ukraine.

2019-2021 No. DR 0119U100587 “Development of evaluation criteria for the selection of synthetic diamonds of grades AC80–AC300 according to physicochemical and mechanical properties and morphometric characteristicsfor effective use in precision ruling tools” Order of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

2019-2021 №DR 0119U100583 “Investigation of processes for obtaining and prospects for the application of ultra-dispersed oxide and carbide powders by the method of electroerosion dispersion”. Order of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

2019-2022 №DR 0120U100117 “Development of multifunctional ceramics based on borides, carbides and silicides”. Order of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Project under the Horizon 2020 program AERO UA Strategic and Targeted Support for Europe-Ukraine Collaboration in Aviation Research (Project reference: 724034, Topic: MG-1-5-2016-2017), EU. International project SPS 985070 “New shock-resisting boron-based ceramics: computer modeling, production, testing”, NATO Programme: Science for Peace and Security. International project SPS G5773 “Advanced Material Engineering to Address Emerging Security Challenges” (“Engineering of promising materials that will allow solving security problems”, NATO Programme: Science for Peace and Security. Project CA19108, COST “High Temperature Super Conductivity for Accelerating the Energy Transition”, EUROPEAN COOPERATION in SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY, ЄС.Project “Topological order of electrons in solids: New materials, Phenomena & application Concepts (UKRATOP)”, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Programe „Funding of the German-Ukrainian “Cores of Excellence (CoE) in Ukraine“.

Latest publications

Joseph Halim, Patrick Chartier, Tatyana Basyuk, Tatyana Prikhna, El’ad N. Caspi, Michel W. Barsoum, Thierry Cabioc’h. Structure and thermal expansion of (Crx,V1−x)n+1AlCn phases measured by X-ray diffraction //Journal of the European Ceramic Society, Volume 37, Issue 1, 2017, Pages 15-2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2016.07.022

T. A. Prikhna et al. Structure and Properties of MgB2 Bulks, Thin Films, and Wires // IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 1-5, June 2017, Art no. 6200705. DOI:10.1109/TASC.2016.2638201

V. E. Shaternik, A. P. Shapovalov, T. A. Prikhna, O. Y. Suvorov, M. A. Skorik, V. I. Bondarchuk, V. E. Moshchil. Charge transport in hybrid tunnel superconductor—quantum dot —superconductor junctions // IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity – 2017. – Vol. 27. – №. 4. – Р. 1-7.DOI:10.1109/TASC.2016.2636255

Bernd Halbedel, Tatiana Prikhna, Pamela Quiroz, Jens Schawohl, Thomas Kups, Mykola Monastyrov, Iron oxide nanopowder synthesized by electroerosion dispersion (EED) – Properties and potential for microwave applications //Current Applied Physics, Volume 18, Issue 11, 2018, Pages 1410-1414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cap.2018.08.006

.A. Prikhna, P.P. Barvitskyi, A.V. Maznaya, V.B. Muratov, L.N. Devin, A.V. Neshpor, V. Domnich, R. Haber, M.V. Karpets, E.V. Samus, S.N. Dub, V.E. Moshchil. Lightweight ceramics based on aluminum dodecaboride, boron carbide and self-bonded silicon carbide //Ceramics International, Volume 45, Issue 7, Part B, 2019, Pages 9580-9588. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.10.065

E. Gevorkyan, T. Prikhna, R. Vovk, M. Rucki, Z. Siemiatkowski, W. Kucharczyk, V. Chishkala, L. ChalkoSintered nanocomposites ZrO2-WC obtained with field assisted hot pressing //Composite Structures. – 2021. – № 259. – Р. 113443. DOI:10.1016/j.compstruct.2020.113443

Igor Petrusha, Chawon Hwang, Tatiana Prikhna, Metin Örnek, Dexin Zhao, Kelvin Y. Xie, Richard A. Haber, Myroslav Karpets, Semyon Ponomaryov, Sergey Dub, Viktoer Moshchil. A novel route to superhard nanocrystalline cubic boron nitride: Emulsion detonation and high-pressure high-temperature transformation-assisted consolidation //Journal of the European Ceramic Society, Volume 41, Issue 11, 2021, Pages 5505-5511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2021.04.042

Baoxin Zhang, Tatiana Prikhna, Chunping Hu, Zhijiang Wang. Graphene-layer-coated boron carbide nanosheets with efficient electromagnetic wave absorption //Applied Surface Science,Volume 560, 2021, 150027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.150027

T.A. Prikhna, O.P. Ostash, A.S. Kuprin, V.Ya. Podhurska, T.B. Serbenyuk, E.S. Gevorkyan, M. Rucki, W. Zurowski, W. Kucharczyk, V.B. Sverdun, M.V. Karpets, S.S. Ponomaryov, B.D. Vasyliv, V.E. Moshchil, M.A. Bortnitskaya. A new MAX phases-based electroconductive coating for high-temperature oxidizing environment //Composite Structures, Volume 277, 2021, 114649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2021.114649

Ostash, O.P., Prikhna, T.O., Podhurska, V.Y. et al. Light Interconnects for Medium-Temperature (550–650°С) Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells //Mater Sci 57, 215–220 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11003-021-00534-1