In this article, human hair is regarded as a bio-indicator of the toxic metals pollution degree of the environment. According to earlier studies, it is established that the life expectancy of a person and his work activity directly near the sources of pollution affect the level of heavy metals concentration in his body. The content of heavy metals in hair usually reflects their content in other tissues of the body [1]. In the presented study, hair samples were taken from workers of tantalum production of JSC Ulba Metallurgical Plant. Studies were conducted according to the established method [2]. Concentrations of toxic elements (Ni, Cu, Pb, Cd) were determined with the help of the atomic absorption spectrometer MGA-915 (JSC Lumeks, Russia). Preliminary conclusions are drawn about the dependence of the content of certain toxic elements in the hair tissues of workers on the duration of their labor activity on harmful tantalum production.

The paper presents the results of studying the structural properties of polycrystalline Fe_xNi_100-x nanotubes obtained by the template synthesis method. The nanostructures represent nanotubes with a high degree of polycrystallinity of Fe_100-xNi_x with a body-centered cubic structure for 0 £ x £ 0.4, and with face-centered cubic structure for 0.5 £ x £ 0.9. Mechanisms for the synthesis of nanostructures with a specified phase composition and crystal structure have been established. It was found that Fe₁₀₀ nanostructures possess the lowest degree of crystallinity, which is caused by a high degree of disorder of the crystal structure during the formation of iron nanostructures under given synthesis conditions. An increase in the concentration of nickel leads to a substantial decrease in the degree of disorder of the nanotubes and to the perfection of the crystal structure.

The paper presents analysis of thermal condition of a fuel assembly (FA) with low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel of the IVG.1M reactor at design accidents due to failure of control and protection system (CPS). The accidents with spontaneous turning of one control dram as well as dram control system with peak efficiency were considered. The issue of research presented in the article was in conduction of nonsteady heat computation of reactor’s FA with double profiling of energy release throughout the height of the assembly and in time. Based on results of the computation research, charts of changes of temperature peak values of FAs and water at the outlet from water-cooled technological channel at design accidents with ejection of CPS actuating device were obtained.

IVG.1M research reactor performs tests of WCTCs-LEU in order to determine whether channels correspond to technical requirements or not and to obtain experimental data necessary to take a decision concerning manufacture of a batch of standard channels and their insertion into reactor core based on results of tests and researches.
The paper presents results of comparative assessment of technological parameters (flow rate, pressure, temperature) during in-pile testing of WCTCs-LEU and results of U₂₃₅ burn-out calculation in WCTCs-LEU according to implemented start-ups of IVG.1M research reactor.

The article presents calculated study of the neutronic characteristics of the experimental device (ED) designed to simulate the residual energy release in the melt trap due to neutron irradiation [1]. The relations of energy release in the melt in different variants of traps filling to the energy release in the reactor are estimated. Proposals for optimal physical start-up have been developed.

The present work is aimed to verification of the methodology designed to determine the energy release (heat release) in fuel detectors irradiated in tests at IGR and IVG.1M reactors.
The paper presents the results of physical studies, when carrying out studies of thick uranium samples and fine powders from uranium dioxide where the energy release and the specific number of fissions were calculated. In the same way, the mass absorption coefficients of gamma quanta with energies of 756 and 1596 keV in uranium dioxide were determined. As a result, a comparative analysis of the correction factors for self-absorption and geometry for fuel pellets and powder preparations was made on the basis of which the correctness of the choice of this methodology for calculating the energy release.

From 2010 through the present Institute of Atomic Energy Branch of the RSE National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan (IAE Branch) performs the activity for modernization of information and measuring system (IMS) of the IVG.1m Research Reactor. Within the first two phases from 2012 to 2017, modernization of automatic control system (ACS), control and protection system (CPS) and instrumentation and automated control system (I&C) of IMS system have been carried out. Equipment, software and materials have been purchased. Algorithms for data processing from primary converters and information screens for remote control operators have been developed. The equipment was installed and commissioning was performed. In 2018, within the technical cooperation project between the IAEA and the Republic of Kazakhstan, the third phase of modernization is being carried out, under which it is planned to modernize the IMS for cell sealing control (CSC) and IMS for dosimetry control (DC). Based on result of this work, the process of control, registration and displaying of experimental information of CSC and DC systems will be improved.

The paper presents development of a programmable line heating method of tested samples with a set velocity through power unit control of the Spellman electron gun of the simulation test bench with plasma-beam installation (PBI). The results enabled to assess the opportunity for thermodesorption (TDS) analysis at the simulation test bench with PBI without removing of samples after saturation.

The object of the study is a thermophysical model of a water-cooled technological channel with low enrichment fuel (WCTC-LEU) of IVG.1M reactor and experimental data from IVG.1M reactor P17-07, P17-08 and P17-09 start-ups. Validation and verification of WCTC-LEU thermophysical model of IVG.1M reactor was conducted to substantiate the applicability of the developed model in non-stationary calculations of thermal processes of the IVG.1M reactor installation. Developed thermophysical model of WCTC-LEU can be used for the analysis of emergency situations aimed at justifying the safety of the IVG.1M reactor with low enrichment fuel.

An approach to the implementation of IGR reactor start-up is proposed, which increases the safety of reactor tests by reducing the number of working bodies (control rods) of CPS involved in the work. Based on a set of experimental data, connections between the parameters of the reactor power scheme and the reactivity necessary for its implementation are determined. The correctness and effectiveness of the proposed approach is checked in practice.

The influence of high-energy oxygen and argon ions irradiation on the structure and conductive properties of YSZ of various composition has been studied. It was shown that irradiation with YSZ ions causes minor failures in the structure of the near-surface regions of complex oxide, but does not cause any change in the type of crystal lattice. Apparently, the latter is due to the fact that both defects and implanted ions are mainly located quite deep from the surface of YSZ. Along with this, high radiation resistance of YSZ near-surface layers with the concentration of Y₂O₃ of 10 and 15 mol. %, is apparently due to the high concentration of oxygen vacancies in the initial unirradiated materials, which act as effective recombination centers for defects formed during irradiation. In the samples of ZrO₂ + 3 mol. % Y₂O₃ composition, the concentration of vacancies is lower, and during irradiation there is a notable yield of oxygen from YSZ along with recombination. This leads to decrease in oxygen concentration and increase in zirconium concentration on the surface of the complex oxide. The values of the activation energies of the oxygen-ionic conductivity of the studied materials have been determined. It was noted that irradiation of YSZ with heavy ions in some cases can cause the improvement in the oxygen-ionic conductivity of these materials.

In this paper, we present the results of studies of the irradiation effect with low-energy He⁺² ions with an energy of 30 keV (15 keV per charge) on the structural properties of Cu films. As a result of irradiation of initial samples with He⁺² ions with a dose of 1·10¹⁶ ion/cm², a change in the Cu surface morphology of films is observed, and the formation of nanoscale inclusions of hexagonal shape is observed. An increase in the irradiation dose to 1·10¹⁷ ion/cm² and higher leads to the formation of cracks and amorphous oxide inclusions on the sample surface. It is established that an increase in the irradiation dose leads to a decrease in the degree of crystallinity and a change in the basic crystallographic characteristics.

Accelerated beams of metal ions are required for a series of scientific and technical tasks in the field of radiation physics of a solid state, for example, the only method for rapid assessments of the radiation damage investigation, the developed structural materials of nuclear technology is ion irradiation. The standard methods for production ion beams at ECR-sources from gas mixtures cannot fully meet the requirements of the experiment. To increase the spectrum of accelerated ions at the cyclotron DC-60 is working on developing methods of heating the solid substances to produce multiply charged ion beams of metals into an ECR ion source DECRIS-3. The article is dedicated to description of methods of production ion beams of metals in two ways: the direct injection of a substance into plasma and a method of heating the crucible with a working substance by micro-furnace. As a result of the work carried out on the DC-60 cyclotron, beams of lithium ions ^6,7Li, ²⁴Mg magnesium, ³¹P phosphorus and ⁴⁰Са calcium were produced for the first time. Using these methods was produced beams of lithium ions ⁷Li¹⁺ metal consumption of 1.1 mg/hour and derived a ion beam current of 500 µA, magnesium ²⁴Mg⁴⁺ with the consumption of the substance 2.1 mg/hour and intensity of 81 µA, phosphorus consumption of substances 1.7 mg/hour at the beam current ³¹P⁵⁺ 60 µA and calcium ⁴⁰Ca⁵⁺ with the consumption of a substance of 0.7 mg/hour when the beam current is 140 µA.

Possibilities of experimental study of the model fuel assembly (FA) destruction of ASTRID reactor in a severe accident were studied in this paper. Experiments with model FA can be carried out in a research impulse graphite reactor (IGR) [1] in the framework of joint program between RSE NNC RK and CEA, called SAIGA (SAIGA – Severe Accident InPile experiments for Generation IV reactor and Astrid project) [2].
ASTRID reactor core consists of an inner zone with heterogeneous FA in height, in which the principle of separation of high enrichment fuel into two zones (upper and lower) is applied by fuel layer with a low uranium-235 content, intended for the reproduction of fission substances, and an external zone with homogeneous FA [3]. The study considers two versions of the model FA for reactor tests, which differ in the geometry and composition of the fuel elements installed in them. Test modes of model FA are determined and complex calculations on their justification is conducted.

The present work is devoted to the investigation of the effect of the electrolyte-plasma surface hardening process on the structure and properties of 20GL steel used for the preparation of railroad products (the supertor bar and the side frame). The electrolyte-plasma surface hardening process was carried out in an electrolyte from an aqueous solution of 20% sodium carbonate in the following mode: the applied voltage between the anode and the sample when heated to a quenching temperature of 320 V, the heating time by electrolytic-plasma exposure of 2 s and 3 s, ~ 850 °С. The results of a study of the structure of the sample showed the lines of the α phase and the weak reflexes of cementite and oxide. The thickness of the modified layer was 500–550 μm. The results of the study of the mechanical properties of the sample showed a slight increase in the microhardness, but a significant increase in wear resistance of the 20GL steel sample after treatment.

This work is related to the study of the effect of electron-beam processing on the physical and mechanical properties of polymer materials (PEI and PET). After electron-beam processing with a beam current of 30 mA and an energy of 1.2 keV, the microhardness of the polymers increased by a factor of 1.5 compared to the initial state. PET polymer samples show a decrease in wear rate of up to 30 %, and resistance to abrasion of the polymer increased by 1.3 times compared to the original sample. The results of the conducted studies have shown the prospects of using electron irradiation for increasing the operational characteristics of polymer materials.

This paper presents a model that allows to describe the absorption of hydrogen isotopes by the investigated sample under the following conditions: a thin sample with known geometric dimensions is saturated from the gas phase with hydrogen isotopes at the given temperature in a chamber of known volume and the initial hydrogen isotope pressure in the chamber. Using the developed model, it was possible to describe perfectly the experimental results on the absorption of a three-component mixture of hydrogen isotopes and to determine the interaction parameters of hydrogen isotopes with vanadium V4Cr4Ti alloy. In particular, the solubility constant and the diffusion coefficient of hydrogen isotopes in the alloy were determined, as well as the parameters of their Arrhenius dependences.
In the future, the proposed model can be used to simulate the processes of hydrogen storage in nuclear reactor facilities (NR), thermonuclear reactors (TNR) and petrochemical industries.

Uranium carbide is one of advanced types of nuclear reactor fuels. Existing technologies of uranium carbide obtaining possess high energy demands and technological complications. Development of energy efficient technology of uranium carbide obtaining is the relevant objective. Author of the article proposes the possibility of uranium carbide obtaining applying electrothermal fluidized bed technology. Two ways of uranium carbide obtaining are considered, the first one is reduction of uranium metal in the methane atmosphere and the second one is UO₂ encapsulation with pyrocarbon and further carbothermal reduction. Thermodynamic calculations, which were carried out made it possible to determine the optimal temperature of the processes. The scheme of a reactor with an electrothermal fluidized bed was proposed and the main heat and mass transfer mechanisms in this reactor during the uranium carbide obtaining process and deposition of the pyrocarbon coating on UO₂ were described. The results obtained will be used in further experimental researches.

A large volume of scientific and research activities is currently carried out in substantiation of new projects on nuclear reactor safety, in which high emphasis is placed on “beyond-design basis” accidents, in spite of the fact that applied technical solutions reduce the probability of such accidents occurrence.
To study parameters of severe accidents and develop measures to mitigate consequences an experimental base is necessary, which enables emergency situation modelling maximally close to real conditions.
The National Nuclear Center (NNC) – the leading research organization in the atomic sphere in the Republic of Kazakhstan – possesses such an experimental base, providing scientific and technical support for peaceful uses of nuclear power, involving studies oriented towards the improvement of nuclear reactor safety [1].
The article presents the concept and general results of researches carried out on NNC’s experimental base in substantiation of nuclear reactors safety, realized in collaboration with JAEA, which is a key foreign partner in this area, as well as current plans on new experimental program implementation.

In this paper, the methodology of the experiments on tritium generation and release from the Li15.7Pb lead-lithium eutectic under neutron irradiation is presented. Using the MCNP software, the neutron-physical calculations were performed. As a result of calculations, the power of energy release from the sample and from the design elements of ampoule device at the level of 1 MW thermal power are determined. Using the ANSYS software packages, thermophysical calculations for different temperature modes of eutectic at 1–6 MW stationary reactor power levels has been carried out. Based on the calculations a special irradiation ampoule device (AD) was developed. The cleaning and filling of the lead-lithium eutectic into AD were conducted. The methodical experiments to determine the irradiation parameters of eutectics and to determine the mass-spectrometric registration modes of tritium in ampoule device was performed. The preliminary results of the methodical experiments were presented.