Kazakhstan, elements

In Desert ecosystems similar to Steppe ecosystems the plants distinctly exhibit their biogeochemical specificity. We can consider the distribution of heavy metals in Dry Desert ecosystems of the Ustyurt Plateau, Kazakhstan, with predominance of wormwood (Artemisia terrae albae) and saxaul (Anabasis salsa). In rubble stone territories, of common occurrence is the dense shrubbery of Sasola anbuscula. Most elements found in the wormwood occur in their highest concentrations. In the roots of the wormwood and saxaul, higher contents of Mn, Cu, Mo, and Sr have been monitored, whereas the aerial parts contain more Ti, V, and Zr. We can see that the root elements are most biologically active and those in aerial parts, more inert. Possibly their presence was related to the dust exposure and deposition on the plant exterior (see above). 

The analysis of rock samples was conducted in the chemical laboratory in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan. by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the equipment used was an ELAN-6100 (US) mass spectrometer. In the present abstract the distribution of two elements zinc (as the basic ore-forming element) and titanium (of the siderophile element) is examined. The sensitivity of the analysis is 5 ppm for Zn and 0.05% for Ti. The analytical results for Zn and Ti are presented on contoured... 

The principal direct raw materials used to make sulfuric acid are elemental sulfur, spent (contaminated and diluted) sulfuric acid, and hydrogen sulfide. Elemental sulfur is by far the most widely used. In the past, iron pyrites or related compounds were often used but as of the mid-1990s this type of raw material is not common except in southern Africa, China, Kazakhstan, Spain, Russia, and Ukraine (96). A large amount of sulfuric acid is also produced as a by-product of nonferrous metal smelting, ie, roasting sulfide ores of copper, lead, molybdenum, nickel, zinc, or others. 

A very severe problem has arisen in South Russia and Kazakhstan as a result of stockpiling millions of tons of elemental sulfur over the past few decades. This sulfur has been extracted from high sulfuric oil and natural gas but has not been used because it is chemically unstable when it comes into contact with atmospheric gases and moisture and thus can become a serious ecological threat. The last problem might be resolved by transform ing the orthorhombic sulfur modification (equilibrium under ambient conditions) into its polymeric modification the latter is chemically more inert and can be used as a valuable component of large scale composite materials such as sulfur concrete, sulfur bitumen, and so on. 

Boron never occurs as a free element but always as a compound. The most common minerals of boron are borax, or sodium borate (Na2B407) kernite (another form of sodium borate) colemanite, or calcium borate (Ca2B< Oii) and ulexite, or sodium calcium borate (NaCaB509). These minerals usually occur as white crystalline deposits in desert areas. As of 2008, Turkey was the largest producer of boron ore. Other major producers of boron materials are Argentina, Chile, Russia, China, Bolivia, and Kazakhstan. Production statistics for the United States were not released in order to protect trade secrets. 

We can see that Chernozems in the north part of the Aktubinsk administration region, Kazakhstan, contains 52 4.2 ppm B that exceeds significantly the average content of this element in these soils in the European part of Russia, 31.3 ppm (Figure 13). 

The most enriched soils are Solonchaks, Solonets and desert Xerosols of Kazakhstan and irrigated Fluvisols and Fluvisol-Flistosol soil complexes of Uzbekistan (> 70 ppm in average). The minimal content of this element is in primitive Arenosols, less than 34-36 ppm, and even < 18 ppm. 

As the ninth most common element in the earth s crust, titanium occurs at an abundance of 6,600 parts per milhon (ppm) or 5.63 grams per kilogram. Its chief sources are the minerals ilmenite (FeTiOj), rutile (Ti02), and sphene (CaTiSiOs) ilmenite is the source of approximately 90 percent of titanium produced. Titanitim is largely produced in the United States, Canada, Russia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Germany, France, and Spain. 

Kazakhstan has a nuclear scientific-industrial complex which was set up as a part of a nuclear infrastructure of the former USSR. More than 50% of the uranium resources of the former Soviet Union are in Kazakhstan, with seven uranium mines. Two UO2 plants produced up to 35% of the total uranium in the USSR in 1990. There are extensive facilities for producing UO2 pellets for VVER fuel elements from Russian enriched uranium. Kazakhstan has several research reactors and one operating nuclear power plant, the BN-350 fast reactor, which started operation in 1973 with a design life of 20 years. Work on its lifetime extension has the intention of bringing it into compliance with current safety standards. 1995 and 1996 were devoted to this work. In October 1996. experimental investigation on accident-proofdecay heat removal by natural circulation was carried out. The reactor BN-350 was restarted in February 4, 1997 at a power level of 420 MW(th). 

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