In this research, samples of an alloy with a bimodal structure were studied on the basis of a previously developed technology for obtaining hydrogen storage materials based on the Ti-Al-Nb system. The results of SPS of mechanically activated powder mixtures of the Ti-Al-Nb system at a temperature of 1300 °C make it possible to obtain an alloy with a predominantly bimodal structure. However, an insignificant presence of TiAl₃, AlNb₂ phases, and unreacted niobium is still observed in the structure. The mechanical properties of alloys of the Ti-Al-Nb system after sintering show abnormally low values of strength and ductility (less than 150 MPa). Two-stage heat treatment of alloys of the Ti-Al-Nb system leads to the decomposition of large precipitates of TiAl₃ with the formation of O-phase nuclei, as well as to the complete dissolution of unreacted niobium and AlNb₂ phases. Heat treatment of alloys of the Ti-Al-Nb system contributes to an increase in its strength by approximately 10 times (1310 MPa, MA-180), and ductility by 2 times (1322 MPa, MA-20). The surface fracture of samples obtained after testing is characterized by intergranular (intercrystalline) brittle fracture with “river” or “step” features.

We present the preliminary results of experimental studies on hydrogen production through methane pyrolysis. Based on the analytical review, the technology of methane pyrolysis in the plasma of a microwave discharge was chosen. To implement this method, an installation for applied research PM-6 was developed, and experimental data on the possibility of producing hydrogen was obtained. The methods of mass spectrometry and optical emission spectrometry were used to analyze the products of the methane decomposition reaction. It has been established that at a microwave forward power of 0.6 kW, plasma pyrolysis of methane occurs with the formation of hydrogen, carbon, and hydrocarbons. Preliminary calculations of methane conversion, as a result of the conducted studies, showed a hydrogen selectivity of 4–5%. The developed installation and the applied method are under modernization at the present time.

We report the nonresonant excitation of the nonstationary holographic currents in an external sinusoidal electric field. The theoretical analysis of the effect has been performed for the conventional model of semiconductor with one type of partially compensated donor level. We demonstrate that the application of an ac field sufficiently increases the photocurrent amplitude. At the same time the frequency transfer function of the effect maintains the form typical for the diffusion mechanism of photocurrent excitation. The dependencies of the current amplitude and characteristic cutoff frequency versus applied voltage are utilized for the determination of the photocarrier’s $\mu \tau$ product. The advantages of the proposed technique are discussed. The experiments are carried out in a photorefractive n-type ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{12}{\mathrm{SiO}}_{20}$ crystal. The signal enhancement of $\sim 50\hspace{0.5em}\mathrm{dB}$ has been achieved and the $\mu \tau$ product is found to be $\mu \tau =(0.8\mathrm{}-1.2)\times {10}^{-10}\hspace{0.5em}{\mathrm{m}}^2/\mathrm{V}.$

The set of experiments using a glow discharge of direct current in the mixture of working gases (nitrogen-hydrogen) was carried out in order to choose optimal method of tungsten nitriding. In the result of experiments it was chosen nitriding mode which leads to formation of tungsten nitrides on the surface of irradiated sample. Analysis methods SEM, EDS, X-ray diffraction were used to determine parameters such as the structure, microhardness, phase and element composition of the irradiated tungsten surface, and also the depth of nitrogen penetration into tungsten. The mode of tungsten nitriding, which can be used for studying the effect of plasma and thermal influence on nitrided surface of tungsten (forming of tungsten “fuzz” at nitrided tungsten, sputtering of nitrided tungsten) was determined.

The paper considers a method of tungsten surface carbidization using a beam-plasma discharge (BPD), which was implemented in a plasma-beam installation (PBI). The advantage of this method is to create conditions for chemical reactions and physical processes as close as possible to those possible in thermonuclear installations. The BPD makes it possible to generate plasma using different working gases. Methane was used as a plasma-forming gas. The working gas pressure in a chamber was (1,3–1,4)·10^–1 Pa. The temperature dependence of the carbidized layer formation on the tungsten surface under plasma irradiation was determined in the temperature range of 700 °C–1700 °C. The formation of tungsten carbides in surface layers was confirmed by SEM and x-ray diffraction analysis. It was found that interaction between tungsten and methane in a wide temperature range can proceed with simultaneous or sequential formation of the carbide phases W₂C and WC.