JOINT DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
In accordance with the tasks set by the Head of State to build a new structure of the economy based on a competitive non-resource sector and the production of goods with high added value, Al-Farabi KazNU contributes to the diversification of the country's economy by building science-intensive industries. One of the areas of innovative development of the economy is the chemical industry, which accounts for about 0.24% in the formation of the country's GDP, which indicates a lack of demand for Kazakhstani products in the world and reflects the weak competitiveness of domestic production.
In order to develop the chemical industry in the Republic of Kazakhstan between NJSC "KazNU named after al-Farabi" and an industry expert in the field of the chemical industry, LLP "United Chemical Company" (hereinafter - LLP "UCC"), a memorandum was signed, the main subject of which is joint work for the development of R&D in the field of the chemical industry, as well as the creation of new chemical industries in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
UCC LLP, established in 2009 by the decision of the Board of Directors of Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund JSC, today is the main operator in the development of the petrochemical industry in Kazakhstan to ensure diversification, modernization, sustainable development of the country's petrochemical and chemical sector through attracting investments and support small and medium business. Currently, an action plan has been outlined for the implementation of the main points of the memorandum, work has begun on the consideration of projects focused on the production of products, and with high added value for implementation in the chemical industry.
The beginning of the development of mutually beneficial cooperation was the organization of an online meeting on October 14, 2021, of chemical scientists of the Kazakh National University. Al-Farabi with representatives of LLP "OKHK", headed by Zhankuban Berik - Managing Director for Business and Abildaev Aydar - Advisor to the Chairman of the Management Board for Science. At the meeting, innovative technologies and developments of university scientists were presented, implemented in the research laboratories of the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, the Center for Physical and Chemical Research and Analysis Methods, the Research Institute of New Chemical Technologies and Materials, ready for further implementation in production. During the meeting, a list of projects of the first priority in the field of chemistry and new materials was determined, sent to the management of UCC LLP to assess their commercial attractiveness.
One of the finished products requiring scaling of production and bringing it to the level of low-tonnage production is the production of sulfur-containing multifunctional organic plant growth stimulants and plant disease control based on nano sulfur. The scientific foundation of the project was created as a result of previous interdisciplinary research under the guidance of a famous chemist, professor Burkitbaev M.M., within the framework of targeted program funding on the topic "Development and testing of technologies for obtaining new sulfur-containing nanocomposites and preparations'', the results of which showed the effectiveness of synthesized sulfur-containing preparations for protecting plants from diseases and pests and stimulating plant growth.
The project is aimed at creating conditions for improving the quality and quantity of the crop with an effect that exceeds the effect of traditional drugs, modifying and creating new composite materials with a wide range of practical applications and sorbents. On the topic of research, more than 10 patents for inventions and a useful model have been obtained, an organizational standard and technical conditions have been developed for the preparation of NANOQUQIRT and a number of other substances with useful properties modified with a nano sulfur solution. Preparations as plant growth stimulators and the fight against plant diseases have been tested at agricultural facilities (Amiran AGRO LLP, Bakhus Global LLP, Kazakh Research Institute of Agriculture) and at the moment additional investments are required to complete a mobile energy-saving low-tonnage technological line for the production sulfur-containing product with 100% Kazakhstani content for obtaining a variety of drugs with added value based on man-made waste and nanotechnology methods.
Particular interest was shown in the project for the creation and use of sodium-ion batteries as solar energy storage devices. Sodium-ion batteries are cheap compared to analogs, are beneficial for large stations, and their production is 40% cheaper. To date, a group of chemical scientists led by the head of the Department of Analytical, Colloidal Chemistry and Technology of Rare Elements Galeeva A.K. cathode materials have already been developed and preliminary tests carried out. Along with this, the laboratory production of the drug "Novovalidol", which has an antispasmodic drug, has been organized in research institutes. A group of scientists led by Professor Zhanar Zhenis of KazNU named after Al-Farabi has developed an anti-viral multi-natural supplement, which is a mixture of medicinal plants such as mint, cloves, chamomile and licorice. Scaling up production will allow obtaining a multi-natural additive - a bioactive composition against influenza and acute respiratory viral infections, which is the basis for the release of new pharmaceutical products based on raw materials.
In turn, from the side of UCC LLP, a number of technological tasks were received that require a solution from the university scientists, it is planned to allocate investments for finished projects, in particular, those requiring bringing the resulting developments to marketable form, completing the development of a prototype and other work involving the following step already in the form of sales. As a result of the meeting, a preliminary agreement was reached on joint research and development aimed at the development of the chemical industry in the country.
Kairzhan TUREZHANOV
