The attempt to interpret the experimentally established regularities of strengthening surface nanostructures formation under different energy effects (electro-explosive alloying, electron-beam treatment, rolling products thermomechanical strengthening due to accelerated cooling, severe mechanical action at long term operation) was made on unified position. The mathematical modeling of nanostructured states formation in consideration of equilibrium states instabilities development in surface layers (Kelvin–Helmholtz and Marangoni instabilities) was carried out, the corresponding dispersion equations were analyzed and the analytical dependences of instability decrement α on perturbation wave length λ in micro and nanoranges were established. The correspondence of numerical values of maximum observed on the α(λ) dependences to experimental nanostructure parameters was noted and its physical interpretation was made.

Nowadays the development of science and industrial production requires the creation of new materials, able to serve in hard conditions of external action, including high gradient temperatures, intensive impact load, as well as, in the conditions of aggressive atmosphere, hard friction regime and wear. Perspective direction, while developing such materials, is a partial and full refusal from traditional connecting  hard alloys – transition material of iron group, which does not possess the required heat resistance, high-temperature strength and corrosion resistance. The usage as an alternative of a connecting phase of intermetallic compound TiNi allows increasing such characteristics. The paper is devoted to the research of the peculiarities of heat-resistant hard tungstunfree alloys of the system of TiC – TiNi in dependence on the volume content of the components in the conditions of oxidizing heating from room temperature to 900 and 1100 °С in a furnace with the heating rate of 5 °С/min. It has been established that the usage of cementing connecting phase TiNi allows increasing heat resistance and corrosion resistance of hard alloys based on TiC with intermetallics of TiNi in comparison with alloys of VK3M, VK8, T30K4 and TN – 20.

The analytic model of the gap forming between the billet and the mold at steel continuous casting plant, which is represented in the article, includes the formulas for determining the size of bending moments, and also the equation of cover deflection in wide and narrow edges of the mold to calculate not only the gap configuration, but the size of cover bending angle and to predict the most likely areas of liquid metal bleeding. The modeling results are given in gap configuration diagrams between the billet cover and the mold walls and in the bending moment diagrams for the sections of narrow and wide mold edges. As the result of the research work it is proved that by the gap forming in the area of an angle liquid metal bleeding is likely to be in the area of a cover angle in the side of the wide edge.

The paper presents the research results of obtaining processes of metalized products by the method of solid-phase iron reduction from oxides of iron ores with the usage of coals of diff erent technological grades as a reducing agent. The authors give the results of hightemperature experiments on the kinetics study of the process of solidphase iron reduction from its oxides. According to the research results the coal optimum fl ows have been defi ned, as well as temperature and time parameters of the metallization process, which are necessary to obtain metalized materials with the specifi ed composition and the metallization degree.

The article presents the research results obtained during working out and industrial development of technology of the differentiated thermal treatment by air of railway rails with the use of heat of rolling heating. The work was performed in the conditions of JSC «EVRAZ ZSMK» during reconstruction of the rail manufacture. In the paper the authors describe the results of investigation of the influence of a chemical compound, modes of plastic deformation and thermal processing on the position of polymorphic transformation points, as well as the construction of thermokinetic diagrams of steels of a skilled chemical compound. Cooling rate on the section of a rail head depending on heat treatment parameters was investigated. The rational chemical compound and modes of thermal processing are defined. The experiments on thermal treatment of rail tests of rails were made directly after rolling. According to the results of the theoretical and laboratory data, the recommendations are developed for industrial introduction of technology of the differentiated hardening. The conducted industrial tests have shown high quality of rail production on all parameters of the specifications and technical documentation corresponding to the requirements.

The paper is devoted to the analysis of one of the main concepts of quality metering – item properties. The authors give the classification of item properties, as well as, provide the possibility to describe the property structure of the estimated object from the point of view of the definition of the functions of different levels. The analysis of the properties of hardware items have been carried out. On the basis of this analysis it has been offered to define the notion «function». The notion «item consuming phase» has been introduced on the basis of functional analysis concept of item properties. It has been offered to introduce the constructive definition of hardware quality as a degree of item performance – a transport one, as well as, assembly and service ones. The system of analysis methods of hardware quality on the basis of the item function research over a period of its consumer phase is the essence of functional analysis. On the basis of this approach the algorithm of complex quantitative quality assessment has been approved. The developed approach differs with the concretization of the life-cycle stage, multilevel structure of the researched functions, as well as, the examination of one material body as the system of properties, revealed themselves in different ways, in dependence on target status condition. It allows positioning the function-target analysis as the original method of studying function and property structures of metalware.

Nowadays a simple pumping drive with continuous-delivery pumps is widely used in machine building and metallurgy. To increase operating coeffi cient a geared-multiplicatory drive is served. Such a drive has a balanced load of pumps, less working pressure of pumps and as a result, less installed power of a driving engine. In case of use of two-cylinder drives it is necessary to provide work synchronization of two power block cylinders. The mentioned eff ect can be received while using in the drive control circuit the sectional gear units-multiplicators, which fulfi ll the functions of a reduction gear at an idle stroke, but at a working stroke – the functions of а multiplicator. In the article the authors also consider the developments of a double-speed and three-speed pumping geared-multiplicatory drives with the use of a sectional metering control, implementing the functions of a hydraulic gear unit at an idle stroke and the functions of a hydraulic multiplicator at a working stroke.

The laboratory results have demonstrated the positive effect of the input of fluorinated carbon additive and nickel into the composition of 25Kh5FМS cored wire for welding of rolls additives comprising. In particular, it was found that the use of material containing carbon and fluorine, instead of amorphous graphite reduces the deposited layer contamination by nonmetallic inclusions, and the input of nickel into the cored wire refines austenite grains and ensures the formation of fine carbides. Thus increases the thermal resistance of the deposited layer. The article describes the data on the hardness increase of the deposited metal layer with the increase of carbon equivalent of surfacing powder cored wire of 25Kh5FМS grade.

To study the process of magnetite oxidation the experiments had been conducted on large single crystals of magnetite having octahedral form and retrieved from chlorite schist in Shabrovski talc mine (the Middle Urals). Using the method of diff erential thermal curves obtained by diff erential heating of samples the good reproducibility of the processes that occur during oxidative roasting magnetite was shown. The mechanism of the magnetite oxidation and temperature ranges of exothermic and endothermic reactions in various stages of magnetite oxidation was considered. Using the method of separated standard the unknown thermal eff ect of magnetite oxidation was determined in accordance with the standard thermal effect (CaCO3 ) and the values obtained in the areas of the fi gures in thermograms concluded between the diff erential heating curve and the axis of time proportional to the thermal eff ects of the standard and the test substances (Fe3O4 ). The obtained results are of some interest. Knowing the temperature intervals of magnetite oxidation, it can be taken into account in establishing the mode of burning heat source for technological zones in conveyor type roasting machines. This achieves optimization of the fi ring thermal regime and reduction in specifi c fuel consumption

The analysis of certain well-known and classical methods for calculations of thermo-massive slab heating under conditions of theoretical counterflow is presented. In case at hand, publications by B.I. Kitaev, E.M. Goldfarb, G.P. Ivantsov, and B.Ya. Lubov have been analyzed in full details. It was demonstrated that literature lacks a reliable engineering method of calculation of heating thermo-massive semi-products with simultaneous exposure to thermal radiation and convection, even though the basic class of heating furnaces in the rolling industry are running in the counterflow mode. The authors have worked out a solution for the problem of thermally massive blank heating subject to simultaneous thermal radiation and convection, as well as using a counterflow heat exchange configuration. The stated problem has been solved using the method of equivalent sources (MES) in accordance with the thermal layer format, for two successive stages of heat exchange, namely: – inertial and orderly (regular). To estimate the level of adequacy of the result, the derived solutions have been compared with the classical ones by Kavalderov A.V. and Kalugin V.I. for the case of radiate heating. The results show a satisfactory fit of estimated data for the solution by the method of equivalent sources and with the use of a hydrostatic integrator. The calculations for blank heating have been made for semi-products of classical forms (plate, cylinder and sphere). The proposed technique can be used in heat-engineering calculations as applied to heating-up of ingots and billets in steel-making furnaces to estimate metal temperature fields.

The problem of the development of algorithmic supplement for decision-making in the fi eld of investments payback evaluation was formulated and solved based on multi-structured approach. It was proposed to determine the payback of draft according to the forecast variants of its scale, sources and amount of investment. The expected cash flows from the project and the financial condition of the company – the customer’s project. Mathematical model of variant payback period of the project, allowing to carry out turn-based simulation of the accumulation of situational revenue to compensate for the cost-projection was developed. Options of payback period estimates are provided to the person performing the selection of the best options in terms of his preferences. An example of multivariate calculation of the payback period concerning the project of steelmaking production reconstruction is given.