News

Over its century-long history Ekaterinburg Non-Ferrous Processing Plant has been constantly improving the production processes and has been the first in the industry to start manufacturing of many products types. The plant continues these activities today as well.

At the beginning of the year 2018 EZOCM has established Science and Technology Department that became the center of research on new technologies for production development and expansion of products range. In the years 2018 and 2019 the Science and Technology Department is planning to implement a number of strategic projects in these fields.

In particular, the enterprise is developing the technology for manufacturing wire and electrodes made of iridium (including single-crystal Ir) and its alloys, which are components of the spark plugs in automotive and industrial combustion engines.

In addition, for the first time in its history, EZOCM is developing the technology of manufacturing of ultrafine (up to 0.04 mm of section) thermocouple wire of precious metals for temperature measurement in metallurgical processes, reheating furnaces, etc. The plant has also begun to develop the technologies of manufacturing of gold micron wire of 25 microns in diameter for electronics industry, in particular, for printed circuit boards manufacturing. Such product has never been manufactured here before. The gold micron wire is considerably more reliable than copper wire with platinum coating (PCC) which is commonly used today in printed circuit boards’ production.

Development seamless Pt alloy tubes production technology for glass industry will allow EZOCM to strongly increase the number of its customers in the long term. Seamless platinum capillary tubes with calibrated inner diameter will also contribute to domestic and global production of complex implanted medical devices.  

Another large cluster of projects of the Science and Technology Department is associated with enhancing the quality and consumer properties of the current product range. The composite dispersion strengthened materials under development will allow to significantly increasing the lifetime of glass melters and catalyst gauzes produced by EZOCM. Accordingly, the reliability and durability of catalyst systems used by the customers – nitric and chemical industry enterprises – will grow. The technology of manufacturing of steel woven gauzes with application of precious metals coating will allow reducing precious metals content which would mean reduction of the gauzes cost.

Development of equipment for the use of ultrasound in silver alloying processes is aimed at improvement of the silver targets’ properties. Under the action of ultrasound the target grain reduces at the melting stage, and the amount of trace gases reduces as well. Such target is more stable, which is the key requirement of the contemporary customers.

With regard to production development projects, the technology of platinum refining by pyrochlorination method, which is new for EZOCM, is being developed to optimize the refining process and reduce the operating costs. In addition, the plant is seeking ways to recycle a new source of technical raw materials, which are waste collectors made of platinum-rhenium and platinum-palladium-rhodium alloys, for obtaining of refined metals.

“All the projects are implemented in accordance with the development strategy of our enterprise, the key fields of which are upgrading of the production facilities and technologies, increasing the output of high-technology products made of precious metals, acquisition of new raw materials sources, geographical expansion of exports. Successful implementation of these projects will allow the plant to meet the growing demands of the customers, to stay competitive, to strengthen its leading positions in Russian and foreign markets,” said Alexander Andreev, General Director of EZOCM JSC.