POLYMER CONCRETE FROM «GAS» SULFUR

A group of researchers from the Institute of Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan (scientific supervisor - candidate of chemical sciences K. Maviyev) on the basis of the laboratory of chemistry and technology of natural and hydromineral raw materials has developed a method for obtaining lightweight sulfur concrete and polymer concrete from "gas" sulfur and industrial processing waste of this substance. The State Intellectual Property Service of the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan has issued a limited patent for an invention to the new work of chemical scientists.

Scientists at the Institute of Chemistry continue to study the possibilities of new materials using sulfur, which is formed in huge quantities during the purification of natural gas. Solving this issue will solve two problems. First, the environmental issue associated with excessive accumulation of sulfur is being addressed. Secondly, obtaining new road-building materials. The use of this binder and modifying component in sulfur-bitumen compositions is considered by them as the most promising direction, which not only increases the total amount of binding material, but also improves the quality of the mixture.

The new construction and road material developed by them is a sulfur-mineral composition, in which, along with such fillers as quartz sand, crushed stone, dolomite, fine-grained expanded clay is introduced, and as a binder - not cement, but prepared at a temperature of 145-1470C - sulfur astringent - elemental sulfur modified with styrene (or some other modifier), in which the sulfur waste of industrial production of sulfuric acid - "cake" serves as the initiator of copolymerization. Modifiers in the production of sulfur-polymer concrete can be a variety of petrochemical feedstock, including fractions of unsaturated hydrocarbons from cracking, semi-coking and pyrolysis. With their use, it is planned to produce polystyrene products from styrene obtained from ethylene - from the pyrolysis of gases, or gasoline fractions and benzene extracted in large volumes from straight-run gasolines at the Seydi oil refinery and the Turkmenbashi oil refinery.

The composition obtained in this way has improved physical and mechanical properties - higher strength, water resistance, frost resistance, resistance to aggressive environments, rapid strength gain, thermoplasticity, high adhesion when used in road surfaces.

The appeal of our scientists to the industrial use of sulfur is quite understandable. A number of hydrocarbon deposits, large in terms of reserves, have been discovered and put into development in the country, which contain from 5 to 7 percent of sulfur recovered in the industrial production of petroleum products and commercial gas. Powerful gas chemical complexes were commissioned in Kiyanly and Ovadan Depe, which also purify natural gas from sulfur impurities. Already, the world produces 10 percent more of this raw material than is used. Therefore, in all gray-producing countries of the world, this direction has become a priority and special attention is paid to its development.

In the opinion of researchers of the Institute of Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, the issue of utilization and useful use of sulfur in our country also has a broad perspective, especially for the construction and road facilities of Turkmenistan, which are the main consumers of mineral products.

For more than eight years, the Institute of Chemistry has been conducting scientific research on economic and contractual terms with enterprises of the leading sectors of the country's economy - State Concerns "Turkmenhimiya", "Turkmengaz", "Turkmenneft", State Corporation "Turkmengeologia", enterprises of the Ministry of Industry and Construction Production, agricultural producers, and also with the entrepreneurs of the country.

The employees of the institution are engaged in the development of scientific foundations for the processing of mineral, hydromineral and hydrocarbon raw materials, as well as training high-level specialists for universities and the chemical industry. For 9 months of 2021, the Institute of Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan received seven limited patents. Over 50 works of chemists were included in the collection published by the Ylym publishing house. The emphasis in them is placed on the introduction into production of cost-effective scientific research related to import substitution, the use of the latest technologies and innovative solutions in production, and the creation of products that are competitive on world markets.