VOL 99, No. 4 (2026)

A laser marking process for glass products was studied. This process involves laser-induced transfer of ink vapor to the product surface upon irradiation from the opposite side through the glass. A pulse-periodic nanosecond laser was used to form the image. The marking quality and its technological compatibility with subsequent laminated glass manufacturing operations, including thermal and barothermal exposure, were validated. Tests showed that the average strength values of the marked samples (495 and 431 MPa) were within the required range and did not indicate a critical reduction in mechanical properties compared to the permissible standards for products of this class. The obtained results confirm the feasibility of implementing this technology into the production cycle for automated product identification (alphanumeric designations, QR codes, barcodes) while maintaining operational characteristics.

Lithium-silicate scintillation glasses doped with rare earth ions are promising materials for neutron detectors. Oxyfluoride glasses, due to modification by fluorine, have improved spectral and mechanical properties compared to oxide glasses. In this work, modified by AlF3 and LiF lithium silicate glass doped with cerium ions was obtained by melt-quenching technique. Spectral and structural characteristics of glasses were studied. It has been shown that the modification of glass by 2 mol. % aluminum fluoride does not lead to crystallization. Glasses exhibit luminescence in the UV region of the spectrum when excited at 300 nm. The light yield at 137Cs (662 keV) irradiation was measured to be 30 % higher than that of its commercially available counterpart GS20 glass. When LiF is introduced into the composition, the kinetics of scintillation slows down, unlike glasses modified by AlF3, where energy transfer efficiency increases due to improved connectivity of the glass grid. The data obtained indicate the prospects of using fluoride modifiers in the creation of oxyfluoride glasses for scintillation applications.

The article discussed the problem of manufacturing boron carbide ceramics with high physical and mechanical characteristics. The problem of choosing raw powders and ceramic manufacturing technology is considered. The paper presents the results of research of domestic and imported boron carbide powders and shows the differences in their structure and properties. The results of domestic and imported boron carbide powders studies are presented; the differences in their structure and properties are shown. It is also shown that the grain shape and granulometric composition of the powders have a significant impact on the density of the blanks and the silicon content after reaction sintering, and the chemical composition of the powders affects the structure of the ceramics. The comparison of the structure and physical-mechanical properties of boron carbide ceramics based on domestic and imported powders showed the advantage of using powders produced by JSC “UNICHIM & EP” in most of physical-mechanical properties.

This paper presents the results of investigation on obtaining ZrB2-based ceramic by the method of slip casting followed by pressureless sintering. Optimal parameters for forming complex-shaped blanks were determined. The influence of the maximum by pressureless sintering temperature on the microstructure, physical and mechanical properties of ZrB2-based ceramic were investigated. Thermal physical properties of the developed material were studied in a wide temperature range.

The influence of ceria (CeO2: 0…3,56 wt. %) and sintering method (pressureless sintering in air, hot pressing in Ar) on the phase composition, microstructure, and properties of alumina-zirconia ceramics was investigated. The sintering method was found to determine the dual role of CeO2. Hot pressing facilitated the reduction of Ce4+ до Ce3+ and the formation of plate cerium hexaaluminate CeAl11O18, identified by XRD and EDS. Pressureless sintering led to the stabilization of the cubic ZrO2 phase (c-ZrO2). Hot pressing achieved high relative density (>99 %) and practically no open porosity, while pressureless sintering resulted in porosity up to 5 %. Hardness decreased with increasing CeO2 content for both methods. Fracture toughness in pressureless sintered ceramics was primarily controlled by porosity. In contrast, KIC increased with CeO2/CeAl11O18 content in hot-pressed materials, reaching a maximum of 7,5 ± 0,2 MPa·m1/2, demonstrating the effectiveness of CeAl11O18 as a toughening phase. The results indicate that hot pressing is the preferred method for producing CeAl11O18-toughened Al2O3–ZrO2 ceramics.

The defects of unetched microchannel plate blanks after their mechanical processing have been investigated. It has been established that during cutting and grinding operations, defects appear, leading to the formation of through and non-through parasitic channels, as well as to the deformation of channels bordering the frame and at the junction of multi-strand glass rods. It has been established that mainly defects appear at the stage of assembly and drawing of microchannel plate components. It has been shown that the studied defects do not affect the integral and local electrical resistance of the blanks.