In 2021, the Central Laboratory of New Technologies (CLNT) of Almalyk MMC JSC was reorganized into the Technology Center for the Development and Introduction of Innovative Technologies (TCDIIT). What are the challenges facing the technology center? What are employees working on today? We asked the acting director to answer these and other questions. Director of TCDIIT Doctor of Advanced Material Science and Engineering Amir Abidov.

- The transformation of the CLNT into a new division of the plant was carried out in order to assist in the introduction of new technologies and expand the range of products manufactured in the divisions of the AMMC. As for structural changes, they are not significant for us: in the course of reorganization, the department of copper metallurgy was renamed the laboratory of copper metallurgy at gold and silver refining shop of the copper smelting plant, the rest of the production sites remained the same. Currently, the TCDIIT includes: the copper-molybdenum ores enrichment department at the MOF and secondary products at the MOF-2, the experimental concentrating plant (ECP), the rare metals department at the copper-smelting plant, the team for the implementation of scientific and technical developments, the pyro-hydrometallurgy department at the Zink Plant and a maintenance team for the repair of laboratory and process equipment based at ECP. Each department has its own purpose and direction of activity.

The main task facing the staff of our Center is the technological support of the factories and plants of the plant, the solution of current and future problems of existing technologies and the projected modernization of enterprises carried out by the technical and production departments of Almalyk MMC JSC. Employees of TCDIIT are engaged in the development of new technologies, the study of new and improved technological processes, participate in the introduction of scientific research, new equipment into production, in the development of design technologies and indicators, regulate various technological processes.

In recent years, the plant has been implementing a huge number of projects in which the employees of our Center take an active part. Large-scale work is carried out under the Investment Program. I will focus only on the most important ones. A technological instruction was developed and approved for the production of ammonium octamolybdate, obtained as a result of industrial tests at the Scientific and Production Association for the Production of Rare Metals and Hard Alloys (NPO PRMiTS). In the course of tests to obtain a new product – a fire-resistant PVC compound with ammonium octamolybdate with a purity of 99.99% as an additive to polymeric materials, samples of fire-resistant PVC were obtained, which were tested at the technology center, and then sent for the same purpose to the Korea Technopark Gangwon. The results showed an oxygen index of 21.4%. After the technological regulations were prepared, the production of new products was launched at NPO. Currently, steel grade 110G13L is being tested using a new modifier that has shown high strength and corrosion resistance, twice exceeding the GOST indicators, on one of the excavators at the Kalmakyr mine. Another point of implementation of this document is the organization of new production facilities for the production of metals and alloys. To date, under the guidance of the Advisor to the Chairman of the Board for Nanotechnologies and New Materials, Eler Zhumaev, technologies for the production of heat-resistant, high-entropy alloys, high-strength materials have been developed. Production will be launched on the basis of the Central Mechanical Repair Plant. In addition, the specialists of the Center have developed technologies for the production of selenium, tellurium, indium, zinc, tungsten and molybdenum of high purity. On the basis of the Program "Production of a new type of powders for fire extinguishing and smoke reduction" for plastic additives, laboratory tests of new types of fire retardants for PVC plastic based on zinc and molybdenum are carried out at the production sites of the research and production association and the zinc plant.

No less voluminous work is carried out in TCDIIT and according to the annual plan. In particular, laboratory experiments are underway to obtain metallic nickel from the mother liquor of the vitriol shop, obtained after crystallization. Work is underway on the refining of platinum powder ... In order to determine the effectiveness of the use of flotation reagents-blowers of the KHF-VS class, developed by the State Unitary Enterprise "Fan va Tarakkiyot", at the experimental concentrating plant the tests in a closed cycle had been performed on the ore of the “Kalmakyr” deposit on the provided foaming agent sample (YKD-75 1 compound), which showed technological performance based on the results of open experiments at the same level of the standard T-92. In the same place, laboratory tests were carried out with Chinese reagents manufactured by the technology company BGRIMM (VK-208, VK-345, AR, EP), as well as general testing of the newly introduced centrifugal concentrator "FALCON" in the technological scheme of enrichment of gold-bearing ores of the Angren gold processing plant. In the secondary products beneficiation department, laboratory tests were carried out on the beneficiation of copper-molybdenum ore from the Kalmakyr deposit using flotation reagents for various purposes (collectors, depressants, foam concentrates) manufactured by Kvadrat Plus LLC, experiments were carried out with the BTF-161 aeroflot, etc. In order to determine the effectiveness of the use of the new BK 511 copper depressant reagent, in January of this year, a series of laboratory experiments were carried out in the copper-molybdenum ores beneficiation department on the selection feed, which will allow unloading thickeners Nos. 10, 11. At the beginning of 2023, a decrease in technological indicators was periodically noted at the copper concentrating plant. In order to determine the reasons for the decrease in the extraction and content of copper in the finished concentrate, laboratory experiments were carried out in the copper-molybdenum ore dressing department on the ore of the first section with EKG-4 (ore from the dump), according to the results of which it was revealed that the ore was difficult to be enriched, slimy. Employees of the copper-molybdenum ores beneficiation department tested a new type of hydrocyclone, a lock and a concentration table installed on the third monosection of the copper concentrating plant.

This is just a small list of works that are carried out by TCDIIT employees on a daily basis. And of course, many factors influence their quality, as well as the timeliness of execution. But the main component, the support of the Center, of course, is its team, on whose professionalism and responsibility a lot depends. We employ more than one hundred and thirty people, of which 21 are engineers. There are many experienced specialists among them who are passionate about the cause: Oksana Proshina, head of the rare metals department, and engineer Akhror Fattakhov, who are engaged in the production of selenium, tellurium and other high-frequency metals. At the experimental concentrating plant, this is the process engineer Olga Proskuryakova, who is in charge of conducting all semi-industrial tests. Excellent knowledgeable workers are acting. Ulugbek Abdurazakov, head of the department of enrichment of copper-molybdenum ores of the MOF, Elmira Sapparova, head of the group of this department, Nargiza Zakirova, head of the department of enrichment of secondary products of the MOF-2, who competently organize the activities of their units. In addition, a group led by Georgy Donskoy is actively developing non-standard polymer parts for various components and mechanisms of the plant's enterprises.

The TCDIIT team will continue to work for the future, directing its scientific research to a specific result and introducing them into production.