The article is dedicated to the study of the phase formation processes in Li₂ZrO₃ ceramics obtained by the method of solid phase synthesis. Interest in these types of ceramics is due to their great potential for use as blanket materials in thermonuclear reactors, as well as being one of the candidates for tritium breeder materials. Analysis of the morphological features of the synthesized ceramics depending on the annealing temperature showed that the average grain size is 90–110 nm; meanwhile the degree of homogeneity is more than 90% according to electronic image data processing results. The temperature dependences of changes in the structural and conducting characteristics, as well as the phase transformation dynamics, have been established. It has been determined that a change in the phase composition by displacing the impurity LiO and ZrO₂ phases results in the compaction of ceramics, as well as a decrease in their porosity. These structural changes are due to the displacement of LiO and ZrO₂ impurity phases from the ceramic structure and their transformation into the Li₂ZrO₃ phase. During research, the following phase transformations that directly depend on the annealing temperature were established: LiO/ZrO₂/Li₂ZrO₃ → LiO/Li₂ZrO₃ → Li₂ZrO₃. During analysis of the obtained current-voltage characteristics, depending on the annealing temperature, it was discovered that the formation of the Li₂ZrO₃ ordered phase in the structure results in a rise in resistance by three orders of magnitude, which indicates the dielectric nature of the ceramics.

Marine source rocks in the Tarim Basin are generally highly mature to overmature, and conventional organic geochemical parameters may not fully reflect their original organic matter accumulation under such conditions. In this study, a comprehensive dataset including major elements, trace elements, and rare earth elements was used to systematically evaluate paleoproductivity variations, spatial distribution patterns, and geochemical controls of the Lower Cambrian (Є1) source rocks in the Tarim Basin. The results show that paleoproductivity in the Lower Cambrian source rocks exhibits clear stratigraphic and regional differentiation. Vertically, the lower intervals are characterized by relatively higher paleoproductivity, whereas the overlying intervals show a gradual decrease in productivity-related signals. Spatially, paleoproductivity in northwestern Tarim was generally higher and more variable than that in eastern Tarim, reflecting differences in depositional environments and material supply among different parts of the basin. These variations were jointly controlled by basin paleogeography, redox conditions, hydrothermal input, and terrigenous supply. Further analysis indicates that inorganic elements can provide complementary information on nutrient supply, export productivity, and organic matter preservation. Among these proxies, P and Ba and their excess indicators record enhanced nutrient availability and increased organic matter export, respectively; however, their variations may be decoupled from TOC because they are strongly influenced by redox conditions and post-depositional processes. In contrast, Ni, Cu, and Zn show relatively weaker enrichment but may better reflect the preserved organic matter component under reducing conditions. This study emphasizes that the application of inorganic geochemical proxies to highly mature marine source rocks requires integrated consideration of lithological heterogeneity, redox conditions, hydrothermal influence, terrigenous input, and diagenetic modification. This work represents a quantitative, data-based review and statistical reanalysis of published geochemical datasets.

Oil–source relationships in the Tarim Basin remain controversial because Paleozoic oils may record contributions from multiple marine source rock systems. We compiled 207 source rock trace element, 184 source rock rare earth element (REE), 44 crude oil trace element, and 33 crude oil REE records to evaluate elemental proxies in an overmature marine carbonate petroleum system. Lower Cambrian source rocks generally record more reducing conditions than the Saergan Formation, although both groups are compositionally variable. PERMANOVA shows significant separation in V/Ni–Ni/Co and Ni/Mo–Mo/Co spaces (R² = 0.4675 and 0.6381; p < 0.001), but PERMDISP indicates unequal dispersion only for V/Ni–Ni/Co. Thus, Ni/Mo–Mo/Co provides the more robust source rock separation. Some Ordovician reservoir oils are compositionally compatible with the Lower Cambrian field, whereas others occupy intermediate or outlying positions. However, whole-rock and ashed oil analyses represent different elemental pools, precluding unique genetic assignment. REE parameters have limited discriminatory capacity because source rock fields overlap and oil data are incomplete and strongly study dependent. V–Ni–Mo–Co relationships should therefore be used as complementary evidence together with biomarkers, stable isotopes, and regional petroleum geology.

Understanding the thermal evolution of foreland basins is essential for reconstructing hydrocarbon generation, migration, and accumulation, and for improving petroleum-system models in thrust-influenced foreland basins worldwide, including the Pre-Uralian Foredeep. However, the thermal regime of Paleozoic formations along the eastern margin of the Pre-Caspian Basin remains poorly constrained, particularly with respect to the relative roles of burial heating and tectonically driven hydrothermal circulation. This study investigates the thermal history and petroleum implications of calcite-hosted fluid inclusions in fractures and veins within Upper Silurian to Lower Permian sedimentary rocks of the Sakmara accretionary zone (Mugodzhar, Southern Urals), the Pre-Uralian Foredeep, and the eastern Pre-Caspian Basin, western Kazakhstan. Aqueous fluid inclusions yield homogenization temperatures ranging from ~50 to 280 °C and define several fluid populations. The dominant population (Th ≈ 87–146 °C) is interpreted as burial-related, whereas low-temperature inclusions (50–78 °C) reflect early diagenetic and/or late-stage fluid circulation. Higher-temperature inclusions (>180 °C) record transient hydrothermal events associated with fault-controlled fluid flow. These results indicate that the basin’s thermal evolution was governed by the combined effects of burial heating and episodic hydrothermal activity. Comparison with available Rock–Eval, vitrinite reflectance, molecular maturity, and burial-history data suggests that the sampled Paleozoic formations were generally immature to marginally mature, whereas hydrocarbons were likely generated in deeper or adjacent, more mature zones (>4 km) and subsequently migrated into the studied units. The results provide a regional framework for understanding fluid-flow and thermal processes in the Uralian foreland system and demonstrate the broader value of integrating fluid-inclusion microthermometry with structural and burial-history analyses to reconstruct basin evolution and hydrocarbon migration in foreland basins worldwide.