A Guide to the Russian Academy of Sciences - University of Texas ...

Thermo-deasphalting-Demetallization Process for treating heavy petroleum residues
has been developed at the institute under Dr. Iurii B. Americ, D. Chem. S., and a
combination of that process with hydro-visbreaking and regenerative hydrocracking
processes has increased refining production from these heavy crudes of up
to 90-92%. This has also made possible the production of motor fuels, a low-sulfur
ecologically pure fuel oil, low-ash electrode coke as well as caking additives for the
production of metallurgical coke from non-coking coals on the basis of sulfur
containing heavy petroleum residues. Under Professor S. M. Loktev, Professor A
Ia. Rozovskii, and Dr. E. V. Slivinskii, D. Chem. S., new catalytic processes for
synthesizing carbon oxides are developed. New processes for the synthesis of alkyl
aromatic alcohols, dimethyl-alkylamines, alkyl-piperidines, 2-methyl-butanal,
heptanal, glycoladehyde, 2-oxytetra-hydrofurane, isobutanal-para-phenol, methylisovalerate,
isovaleric acid, alkyl-cinnamates, methyl-methacrylate, and
dimethylbutirolactone are developed. A new technology for methanol synthesis that
doubles the productivity of the unit volume of the catalyst has also been developed.
Academician Professor (academician of the General and Technical Chemistry
Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences) V. M. Gryaznov, and Dr. A. N.
Karavanov, Scientific Secretary of the institute Head up research in highly active
and selective membrane catalysts based on palladium alloys in the form of foil or
tubes with wall-thickness of 50-100 mkm that have been developed for
hydrogenation processes or organic compounds. These catalysts are resistant to
temperatures up to 800 degrees centigrade and pressure drops up to 120 atm and are
effective for membrane purification of hydrogen, too. New composite membrane
catalysts with Pd-content of less than 1% are being developed in their laboratory.
Under Academician Professor V. A. Kabanov--of the General and Technical
Chemistry Department of the Russian Academy--and Dr. V. I. Smetaniuk, D.
Chem. S., new catalytic systems have been developed on the basis of
metacomplexes immobilized in polymeric gels. These systems have successfully
undergone pilot-plant tests in di- and oligomerization of lower olefins and they have
displayed high productivity, selectivity, stability, and simplicity of regeneration
under these trials. Professor L. E. Gusel'nikov leads the research in the field of sila
alkenes--work that is recognized world-wide. This research has led to the discovery
of the previously unknown phenomenon of a tetravalent silicon low-coordinating
state in bonding of coordination-saturated atoms of silicon with their nearest surrounding.
New methods of synthesis of hard-to-reach monomers have been
developed. The formation of thin-layer coatings for high technologies has been one
of the results. The study of the homogeneous and heterogeneous metathesis
reactions of olefins, cyclo-olefins, and their functional derivatives has produced
new and original methods for synthesizing isoprenoids, terpenoids, and functional
olefin derivatives. These derivatives can be used for the synthesis of components of
vegetable oils, insect pheromones, fragrant and growth-controlling agents. This
work is conducted under the leadership of Dr. E. Sh. Finkel'shtein, D. Chem. S.
Professor E. I. Bagrii has discovered several methods for the functionalization of
adamantane and alkyladamantanes whose products may be used to obtain diamondlike
films, thermostable lubricating oils, greases, and medicinal preparations.
Professors Iurii A. Kolbanovskii and A. A. Ovsyannikov, using the impulsive
compression method, have developed a novel technology for high-temperature
synthesis of aggressive agents such as fluoro-olefins. The technique is promising
for producing unsaturated fluorine-containing monomers for various fluoro-plastics
and fluorine-containing elastomers. The impulsive reactor functions with a high
productivity and stability at reaction-media temperatures of up to 3000K and gas
pressures of up to 300atm. A new highly productive chemical reactor has been
designed that may be effectively used for the destruction of toxic and supertoxic
organic compounds--including chemical wastes and chemical weapons. In the
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