This work investigates the synthesis process and characterization of a novel type of aluminum-ytterbium master alloy in molten salts. The significance of the obtained results for the research conducted in the field so far is due to the previously proven effectiveness of the influence of ytterbium on the structure and properties of aluminum alloys. During experimental work, the thermodynamic analysis of the aluminothermic process of ytterbium fluoride reduction from molten salts was performed and revealed that the process might occur and develop in the presence of sodium fluoride and potassium chloride if the NaYbF 4 precursor is formed. Subsequently, the temperature intervals of thermal effects during the process of reduction of ytterbium from its fluoride in molten salts (NaF -KCl) by aluminum were determined as a result of thermal analysis. During Al -Yb master alloys synthesis experiments, the maximal value of ytterbium extraction to master alloy of 82.5% was achieved by changing the process parameters, such as temperature, reaction time, and molten salts/aluminium ratios. Besides, master alloys containing ytterbium from 1.1 to 5.1 wt.% were synthesized using the optimized technological process conditions and examined with metallographic analysis. The analysis revealed that the microstructure of the synthesized master alloys is presented by eutectic colonies of Al + Al 3 Yb composition located along the boundaries of α-Al dendritic cells. It was found that about 85.5% of the area of the studied samples with ytterbium content of 5.1 wt.% consist of aluminum dendrites with an average cell size of 25 μm. The presented in this research results are of significant importance for the development of cheap and high-quality aluminum alloys.

Iron and steel industry is one of the industrial branches making substantial input in provision of economic growth in Russian Federation; in this connection, innovation development of the metallurgical industry is rather important. The patent researches, in their turn, allow to get statistical data about the patents that are indicators of technological development and reliable parameter of innovation activity in the industry. The paper is devoted to study of the tendencies of innovation development of the national vertically integrated mining and metallurgical companies in order to reveal technological and innovation leaders and trends in this industry. The paper uses the patent method of technological prediction based on patent researches. The results of analysis of patent documents for the large metallurgical companies (Severstal, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works (NLMK), Metalloinvest Management Company, EVRAZ Group, Mechel) are presented. The rating of Russian patentee companies — leaders in iron and steel industry — is prepared for the period 2000-2020. The legal status of patent documents included in the patent portfolios of the companies is determined. Patent activity of the companies is analyzed during the examined period with differentiation by years. The patent documents registered in Russia during 20 years, as well as the documents of Nippon Steel and JFE Holdings are also analyzed for comparison. The collection for each patentee was obtained and their interest areas (corresponding to the definite classes of International Patent Classification (IPC)) were examined with revealing of the most important IPC subgroups. Activity of authors of the examined companies is investigated in order to find out the leading technological development specialists.