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SHS International conference in Tbilisi
On March 14-15, 2005 the International conference
"The Prospective of Developing and Practical Application of SHS in the South Caucasus" was held in Tbilisi.
The conference was organized by the Institute of Metallurgy and Material Science named after F.N. Tavadze
of the Georgian Academy of Sciences. The main sponsor was GRDF (Georgian R&D Foundation). Delegations
of various countries took part in the Conference: the USA delegation consisting of Prof. Marc Meyers
(University of California, San Diego), Prof. Naresh Thadhani (Georgia Institute of Technology) and
Prof. Fernand Marquis (South Dakota School of Mines and Technology); the Armenian delegation headed
by Prof. S.L. Kharatyan (Yerevan State University), and also two guests from ISMAN — Chief Scientific
Adviser of the Institute Academician A.G. Merzhanov and Head of the Laboratory Dr. V.V. Grachev.
The Seminar was opened by the Director of the Institute of Metallurgy and Material Science
the Corresponding Member of the GAS Prof. Ilya Baratashvili. He told the guests about the scientific
and organization problems of the Institute within the reconstruction period of the Georgian Academy of Sciences.
A.G. Merzhanov reviewed the results achieved by the colleagues from
the South Caucasus in the SHS field: creation of the SHS group in the Laboratory of Chemical Physics
of the Armenian Academy of Sciences, development of works in synthesizing hydrides, production of SHS
molybdenum disilicide and introduction of the technology in Kirovokan plant of high-temperature heating
elements (Armenia), creation of SHS production line of titanium carbide and abrasive pastes thereof
(Azerbaidzhan), creation of R&D SHS Center in the Institute of Metallurgy of the Georgian Academy of Sciences.
A.G. Merzhanov heartily mentioned the pioneers of SHS in the Republics of the South Caucasus. Among them are
L.O. Atovmyan, N.S. Enikolopov, B.A. Muradyan, A.B. Nalbandyan, A.S. Pogosyan, S.D. Dolukhanyan, and
S.L. Kharatyan (Armenia), G.G. Karyuk, O.B. Kuliev, K.N. Rizaev (Azerbaidzhan), V.N. Lebedev,
F.N. Tavadze, G.Sh. Oniashvili, G.F. Tavadze (Georgia). A.G. Merzhanov also told about the role
of the scientists from Chernogolovka, especially, of Prof. Inna P. Borovinskaya, in creation and
development of SHS in the Republics of the South Caucasus. The Speaker remarked the education
of Armenian and Georgian young specialists in the Branch of the Institute of Chemical Physics
in Chernogolovka. During the report some interesting photos were shown and funny cases connected
with the author's business trips to these Republics were mentioned.
The colleagues from the USA devoted their reports to their own investigation
of SHS: "Combustion and Shock-Actived Synthesis Research at Georgia Institute of Technology"(N. Thadhani); "Combustion
synthesis/QIP densification of TiC-NiTi Cermets"(M. Meyers); "Synthesis and Densification of Ceramic Matrix Composites
by SHS" (F. Marquis).
A thorough report was made by Prof. S.L. Kharatyan. He told about
the reaction diffusion in high-temperature materials. The hosts of the conference presented the results of
their new works carried out recently and devoted to SHS composite materials. Those reports proved the
remarkable activity of the Georgian specialists O. Okrostsvaridze, G. Zakharov, Z. Aslamazishvili,
D. Gventsadze, I. Chkhartishvili and their supervisors G. Oniashvili and G. Tavadze. An interesting
report on mechanochemically and thermally assisted combustion of B-TiN system was made by a young
talented researcher from Armenia Khachatur Manukyan. At the end of the conference the participants
got acquainted with the results obtained by Dr. Vladimir Grachev in his investigation of two-dimensional
model of filtration combustion of SHS systems under high pressures of a reactive gas.
At the participants request the conclusion speech was made by
Academician A. G. Merzhanov. He pointed out: "The conference appeared to be rather interesting and successful.
All the speakers presented new results. The conference has shown:
To our guests from the USA - that the SHS in the republics of the South Caucasus is still under way,
the group of the scientists has become stronger and is ready for new undertaking;
To the Armenian colleagues - that they have an active neighbor ready for collaboration;
To the guests from Chernogolovka — that in Georgia and Armenia they are still considered to be leaders
in SHS and their colleagues of these republics are ready to work together again;
To the Georgian organizers — that the conference is of great success because the participants have
demonstrated their wish to strengthen the contacts and cooperation, to help each other in their future work"
On behalf of the participants A.G. Merzhanov expressed the
gratitude to the hosts of the conference for their excellent work.
After the conference A.G. Merzhanov and V.V. Grachev visited
the experimental SHS laboratory of the Georgian specialists, discussed specific possibilities of cooperation,
and fixed the plan of their future joint actions.
The participants of the conference have departed with the feeling
of great satisfaction.
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