Participants of the meeting emphasized that the shungite rocks of Karelia are unique, globally unmatched, and constitute a strategic resource not just for our region but for Russia as well. The projects to be developed jointly will focus on the study of shungite's unique properties and its broad practical application.
The RBK and TDM companies have for over eight years been successfully doing shungite research and developments, and introducing Karelian shungite to various industrial and agricultural sectors. They have a wide range of partners in Russia, Belarus, and Uzbekistan. Their expertise in the field is validated by publications in specialized journals, regular participation in thematic conferences and seminars, as well as patents related to shungite.
– To work efficiently, we need to build the 'basic science – applied and experimental science – industrial partners' pipeline as quickly as possible. There are currently no such pipelines for shungite use, – noted Denis Zubkov.
According to him, the company currently concentrates on two major market-driven areas: developments in agriculture, specifically improving animal feed properties through shungite- and algae-based additives produced by the Nadvoitsy TDM Plant, and creating mineral fillers for composite materials based on rubber, polymers, and cellulose. Cooperation with the KarRC RAS will help advance in these fields and explore and test new horizons for the use of shungite.
Discussing alleys for joint activities in the study and application of shungite
Studies of shungite rock properties and their applications have been conducted at the Karelian Research Centre RAS for over 50 years. There is the Shungite Geology and Technology Laboratory at the Institute of Geology KarRC RAS. Its head, Vladimir Kovalevsky, noted that the scientists’ primary task today is to find new, effective, and knowledge-intensive uses for shungite.
– The most promising directions to pursue now appear to be joint work on creating composite materials, and developments related to the sorption properties of shungite rock, first of all for water purification – here, it is important to find ways to modify the rock to enhance its properties. It is entirely feasible to create fundamentally new materials with unique functional properties, e.g. radio frequency shielding. We have already obtained research results on this topic and published them, – shared Vladimir Kovalevsky.
Signing the Agreement, left to right: Sergey Alimpiev, Deputy Director of the Karelian Investment Company RBK,
Denis Zubkov, Director of the Karelian Investment Company RBK, Olga Bakhmet, RAS Corr. Fellow, KarRC RAS CEO, and Vladimir Kovalevsky, Head of Shungite Geology and Technology Laboratory, IG KarRC RAS
From the ecological perspective, it is essential to jointly develop composite materials to be produced of wastes from smelters, mining and ore concentration mills, and other industrial enterprises using an innovative shungite-based filler. The KarRC RAS has the groundwork, equipment, and personnel necessary to achieve this and other stated objectives.
– Multidisciplinarity is a distinguishing feature of the Karelian Research Centre and it would be wise to integrate the efforts of specialists from different fields and our different scientific divisions to work on the projects for shungite use. This is, e.g., how we conduct research on efficient use of wastes from the pulp and paper industry and aquaculture in crop husbandry. As to agriculture, we also cover a wide research spectrum: the Centre has a number of scientists working in this field – soil scientists, agronomists, plant physiologists. In this way, by complementing each other, we can find interesting applications, – summarized KarRC RAS leader Olga Bakhmet.
Apart from the research perspective, the new agreement envisages mutual professional consultations, exchange of information at joint seminars and conferences, and developing common solutions on the subject of the cooperation.
