On August 26, the Tatarstan Oil and Gas Chemical Forum started at the Kazan Expo. Opening the event, Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov emphasized the significance of the event for the republic, where the oil and gas chemical industry is the backbone of the economy, and outlined the key tasks of the sector, namely, strengthening technological leadership, developing domestic technologies and equipment, optimizing production, bringing high‑value‑added products to the market, and training professional personnel. According to him, these priorities form the forum’s agenda.

The KNTU exhibition served as a unique response to the challenges posed: the key theme was the scientific, educational, and engineering initiatives implemented by the university as part of the national technological leadership project “New Materials and Chemistry”.

The forum guests were presented with the developments of scientists from the Institute of Polymers and the Institute of Oil, Chemistry, and Nanotechnologies. Among them were polymer compositions of the new generation. For example, a colored heat‑resistant composition based on polyphenylsulfone. Products based on this material can withstand temperatures up to 250 °C, and their impact toughness is almost 10 times higher than that of other amorphous high‑temperature materials.

The antifriction composition based on polyphenylene sulfide and the biocompatible composition based on polyether ether ketone can be successfully used in aviation engineering, but their key area of application is the production of modern medical devices. “Both materials are resistant to repeated sterilization and are safe for human tissues,” explains Anton Nikiforov, head of the scientific and educational center “Strategic Purpose Polymers” at KNRTU.

Several developments at the KNRTU booth were devoted to bitumen-related topics.

Flexible roofing is a “smart solution” for private housing construction. The material combines high water and sound insulation, as well as the ease of installation on roofs with complex configurations (domes, valleys, curved surfaces).

Bio-bitumen is a modified binder for road construction, developed using lignin and a plant-based plasticizer. The material can easily withstand temperatures down to −46°C and is extremely resistant to rutting, but the most important thing is that it is much cheaper than the existing market alternatives. Bitumen mastic based on SBS-modified material is a viscous waterproofing material for roofs, foundations, pipelines, and joint sealing. The development by scientists from the Institute of Petrochemical Processes KNRTU combines high heat resistance (up to +110 °C), flexibility at sub‑zero temperatures (down to –40 °C) and zero water absorption.

“Our technologies for processing and modifying bitumen make it possible to obtain consistently high‑quality materials. We are ready to adapt the formulation to any industry enterprise and any raw material base,” explained Bulat Vagapov, Associate Professor at the Department of Chemical Technology of Oil and Gas Processing at KNRTU.