Energy efficient technologies for the production of building materials have been developed
For many years, the flagship university has been developing effective autoclave-hardened building materials in collaboration with leading companies in the region's industry. This is due to the fact that the Belgorod Region is one of the leaders in terms of production and consumption of autoclave hardened piece materials.
Scientists of the innovative scientific and educational center "Nanostructured composite materials" under the guidance of Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Technical Sciences Valeria Valerievna Strokova, together with the staff of the Department of Materials Science and Materials Technology, have developed principles for increasing efficiency and recipe-technological recommendations for the use of highly active modifying components. These components were obtained by mechanoactivation of natural raw materials in an aqueous medium to obtain a highly concentrated suspension.
This technology has been repeatedly tested in the experimental-industrial workshop of BSTU named after V.G. Shukhov and can be successfully replicated at enterprises for the production of building materials in the presence of grinding equipment, which is an integral part of existing production processes.
To date, formulations and energy-efficient technologies for the production of some materials and products have already been developed:
- silicate autoclave pressed materials, allowing to obtain products with ultimate compressive strength up to 40 MPa, frost resistance up to 75 cycles;
- painted silicate materials with increased color fastness under prolonged exposure to external natural and man-made environmental factors;
- cellular products (aerated concrete for structural, thermal and thermal insulation purposes) with grades for density D400 – D500, strength classes B2.5 – B5, grades for frost resistance F50 – F100.
This became possible thanks to the active cooperation of the flagship university and the leading enterprises of the Belgorod region. This association took place within the framework of the following activities: the implementation of a doctoral dissertation by associate professor Viktoria Viktorovna Nelubova, the successful defense of five candidate dissertations, a number of fundamental research projects carried out with the support of grants from Russian foundations, federal target programs and state assignments.
In addition, the rational parameters of the hydrothermal synthesis of products are determined depending on the technical condition of the autoclave equipment. This will significantly reduce the energy consumption of silicate materials with a strength that meets the requirements of regulatory documents.
The work was repeatedly presented at scientific events, and also received a positive assessment from the business community. The results obtained during the execution of a cycle of research works are widely covered at specialized conferences of representatives of manufacturing companies, organized by the National Association of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete and the Association of Manufacturers of Silicate Products. It is these non-profit partnerships that bring together active manufacturers of autoclaved materials.
In 2020, for the completed set of works on the creation of highly efficient technologies for the production of autoclaved materials by the government of the Belgorod region, the prize named after Vladimir Grigorievich Shukhov was awarded for the first place in the category "Innovations in modern technologies of industrial energy efficiency and energy saving".
Taking into account the high energy efficiency of the developed technologies and the availability of the raw materials used throughout the territory of the Russian Federation, the project can be successfully replicated at existing enterprises for the production of autoclave-hardened materials without significant capital investments for re-equipment.