"V.Bakul Institute for Superhard materials":About us

About V.Bakul Institute for Superhard Materials NAS Ukraine

V. Bakul Institute for Superhard Materials of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was founded in 1961.

The institute has more than 300 employees, including two Academicians and four Corresponding Members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 23 Doctors of Sciences and 87 Candidates of Sciences (PhD). The institute consists of 12 scientific departments.

Scientific activities

The institute develops technologies for obtaining synthetic diamonds, cubic boron nitride, high-density technical ceramics, hard alloys, superconducting ceramics and other superhard materials, and it creates as well technologies for manufacturing technical products from them.

The institute ensures sustained progress in various fields of production because of performing 150-200 contracts a year for customers from different foreign countries in interaction and information exchange with leading European and global scientific partners.

The institute”s intellectual property is protected with more than 3,100 patents valid in many countries.

Fundamental research:

- physic and chemical processes of forming and growth of mono- and polycrystalline, dispersed materials, diamonds and diamond-like films under a wide range of temperatures and pressures;

- development of methods of spontaneous and directed regulated synthesis of superhard materials and development of methods for static, explosive and epitaxial synthesis;

- studying physical and mechanical properties of superhard materials.

Research techniques and methods

♦ spectrometry, optical and electron microscopy, Х-ray analysis;

♦ nanoindentation, mechanical tests;

♦ devices of high pressure (2-10 GPa) and temperature

(1200-2200 K).

Technologies

♦ high-temperature sintering and imbibition;

♦ formation of layered, film, gradient structures;

♦ growing large single diamond crystals.

Tools

♦ diamond cutting saws;

♦ grinding discs;

♦ honing wheels, polishing discs, diamond pastes;

♦ diamond ruler rollers;

♦ cutters made of mono- and diamond and cubic boron nitride polycrystals;

♦ carbide knives, molds, punches;

♦ drill bits, bits, rock-destroying cutters;

♦ medical drills, scalpels, tweezers;

♦ super-thin drills, cutting disks;

♦ equipment for thermobaric treatment of diamonds.

Priority driven elaborations:

- large monocrystals of synthetic diamonds;

- elite grind powder and micropowder of synthetic diamonds and cubic boron nitrides;

- polycrystalline and composite superhard materials based on diamonds and cubic boron nitrides;

- diamond and carbide tools for highly efficient metal-machining, boring, stone-machining, coal mining and geological survey;

- articles of ceramics;

- polishing pastes for high-exact optics;

- superprecision lather for diamond turning and polishing;

- technologies of precise machining of metals, glass and ceramics.