Vlasenko, Vasily Mikhailovich

Born September 16, 1921 in the village. Yablonka (now Bucha) in the Kiev region in a peasant family. Parents: Mikhail Kondratievich (1883-1932) and Zinovia Kalenikovna (1884-1973). He graduated from the seven-year school in Yablonka, continued his studies at the secondary school of Irpin, which he graduated with honors.

In 1938 he entered the Faculty of Chemical Technology of the Kiev Polytechnic Institute, but in October 1941, from the 4th year, he transferred to the Military Academy of Chemical Protection. In September 1942 he graduated from the Faculty of Engineering with a degree in Chemical Defense. Got a direction in the city of Kamyshin, where he served during September-November 1942 during the fierce Stalingrad battles. From November 1942 to September 1943 he served as head of the chemical protection service of Ulan-Ude. In 1943-1946 was in the same position in the city of Stalin (now Donetsk), which had just been relieved of the occupiers; at the same time taught a sanitary-chemical protection course at a medical institute.

After demobilization in 1946 he returned to the Kiev Polytechnic Institute, which he graduated in 1948 with a degree in electrochemical production technology. He was sent to the Dneprodzerzhinsky nitrogen-fertilizer plant  to start and develop the first production of heavy water in the USSR. He worked as a shift engineer, head of the workshop laboratory, head of the research group of the special laboratory, head of the Quality Department, deputy head and chief technologist of the facility. Actively engaged in rationalization activities. During his work at the plant, he became the author of five significant technical improvements in production and a number of rationalization proposals.

There he began scientific research, which he continued, joining in 1951 in graduate school at the State Institute of Nitrogen Industry (GIAP). The work was carried out under the supervision of Dr. Sc. G. K. Boreskova (later academician, founder of the Institute of Catalysis, SB RAS). In 1955 he defended his thesis "The study of the dependence of activity on the porous structure of catalysts", devoted to the macrokinetics of the processes of purification of technological gases: hydrogen from deuterium (in the production of heavy water), hydrogen-containing gases from oxygen and carbon oxides (in the production of heavy water and ammonia ) The large-scale introduction of these developments at the nitrogen fertilizer plants has significantly improved the production of heavy water and synthetic ammonia and has brought great economic benefits. Later, the development of "radical improvement of the production of heavy water and ammonia" was awarded the State Prize of Ukraine in the field of science and technology (1970). Until 1958 he worked as a junior and senior research fellow at GIAP. During this period, he developed the now widely known adsorption-catalytic method for purifying industrial gases from harmful emissions.

Since 1958, the scientific activity of V. M. Vlasenko has been associated with the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, of which 42 years (1958–2000)  with the Institute of Physical Chemistry named after L. V. Pisarzhevsky Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR (NAS of Ukraine), where he worked as a senior researcher, and since 1969 he was the head of the newly formed department of catalytic gas purification, which in 1981 was called the "department of environmental catalysis." In 1967 he defended his doctoral dissertation on the topic "Catalytic methanation of carbon oxides." In 1976 he was elected a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the Urals Republic of Dagestan specializing in chemical technology. In 2000, by decision of the Presidium of the NAS of Ukraine, the scientist was transferred to the post of adviser to the directorate of the Institute of Sorption and Endoecology Problems of the NAS of Ukraine.

Studies of the mechanism of catalytic hydrogenation of CO allowed V. M. Vlasenko to identify ways to improve the methanol synthesis process. He developed a method for extracolumn reduction of a zinc-chromium catalyst at atmospheric and reduced pressures, which made it possible to significantly increase the productivity of the process. As a result of studying the regularities of the genesis of complex spinel oxide oxides - chromites and aluminates with a highly developed surface, effective catalysts for the synthesis of methanol and methylamines, as well as the oxidation of organic halides, have been created. A large cycle of theoretical and experimental work on catalytic gas purification is summarized in the monograph “Catalytic gas purification” (1973). A method has been developed for purifying natural gas from methane homologues by destructive hydrogenation on nickel catalysts, which has been used for many years in all chloromethane production in the USSR.

Fundamental work on the physicochemical basis of processes under conditions of low concentrations of reagents, the macrokinetics of these processes, the interaction of reagents with catalysts allowed V. M. Vlasenko to formulate for the first time in the world (1980) the basic principles of a new direction in catalysis - environmental catalysis (1980) which is now universally recognized. The scientist was one of the first to understand the importance of such catalysis, given the global problems of environmental protection and the specificity of reactions that are realized according to the concept of a new direction. The department of ecological catalysis headed by him, which had been functioning at the Institute of Chemical Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine until 2000, was the first department in the Soviet Union and in the world with this name. Later, similar research units were created at the Institute of Catalysis. G. K. Boreskova (Novosibirsk), the Institute of Chemical Technology (Severodonetsk), and others.

As the most important components of the processes of ecological catalysis aimed at protecting the environment, V. M. Vlasenko identified methods of cleaning the environment from toxic pollution, as well as fundamentally non-waste technologies. He devoted a significant place to the latter direction in his research, since he understood that the main cause of environmental pollution is the imperfection of existing technologies. Within the framework of this direction, he proposed new one-stage non-waste syntheses: the chloro-oxy process (Vlasenko process) (1982) and the synthesis of methylamines, and also developed effective catalysts for these processes.

In the study of the features of ecological catalysis, he formulated the concept of macrokinetic factors of the fourth kind; He developed ways to intensify certain gas purification processes that reduce energy costs: the adsorption-catalytic method, gas promotion, purification in a heterogeneous-homogeneous mode, and others. The ideas put forward by V. M. Vlasenko, in addition to scientific significance, became the basis for the creation of new gas purification methods emissions. He developed methods for the catalytic purification of gases from ozone, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, organic compounds of various classes in many ways are pioneering both in Ukraine and abroad.

The latest proposed by V. M. Vlasenko are promising methods of unconventional catalysis with direct heating of the catalyst, which contributes to the implementation of resource- and energy-saving technologies of producing and environmental catalysis. In this direction, mesh and fabric thin-film contacts with electric heating were created for the processes of technical catalysis (synthesis of formaldehyde from methanol) and ecological catalysis (oxidation of carbon monoxide).

The research results of V. M. Vlasenko are reflected in more than 300 publications, primarily 7 monographs, including Catalytic Gas Treatment (1973), Catalysis in the Nitrogen Industry (1980), Ecology and Economics Handbook (1986), etc. The last monograph by V. M. Vlasenko “Ecological Catalysis” was published in 2010, which summarizes the numerous studies carried out under the guidance of the author, formulates the physicochemical principles and features of ecological catalysis. are reflected in 50 copyright certificates and patents.

The student of the outstanding scientist, founder of the Institute of Catalysis of the SB RAS, Academician G.K. Boreskov, V.M. Vlasenko created his own scientific school and made a significant contribution to chemical technology and the doctrine of catalysis. Among his students are more than 25 candidates and doctors of sciences. Vasily Mikhailovich died on May 8, 2012 in Kiev.

Scientific and organizational activities

V. M. Vlasenko was an active member of many scientific societies, scientific councils, editorial boards. For many years, he headed the Ukrainian section of the Scientific Council “Catalysis and its Industrial Use” of the State Committee for Science and Technology of the USSR, the section “Scientific Basis for the Development of Low-Waste and No-Waste Technological Processes” of the Scientific Council of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR on biosphere problems.

He actively worked as the head of the section of chemistry and chemical technology of the Ukrainian Republican House of Economic and Scientific-Technical Propaganda.

He has repeatedly organized scientific forums on various problems of physical chemistry and catalysis, in particular: The Second Soviet-French Catalysis Seminar (Kiev, 1974), the Republican Seminar "Catalysis and Its Industrial Use" (Uzhhorod, 1978), Ukrainian Republican Conference on Physical chemistry (Uzhgorod, 1983), retreats of relevant scientific councils in Odessa, Donetsk, Dneprodzerzhinsk, etc.

He was the editor-in-chief of the scientific collection “Catalysis and Catalysts”, a member of the editorial board of the scientific collections “Chemical Technology”, “Catalysis and Petrochemistry”.

Awards and titles

• State Prize of the Ukrainian SSR in the field of science and technology (1970)
• Order of the Badge of Honor (1981)
• Order of Merit (1997)
• Prize named after Leo Pisarzhevsky Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR (1984)
• Prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR (1990)
• Honored Scientist of the Ukrainian SSR (1991)
• medals “For the victory over Germany”, “Defender of the Fatherland”, etc.

Notes

1. ↑ Vlasenko V. M., Wolfson V. Ya. Features of ecological catalysis. // In: Catalysis and catalysts. - 1982. - issue. 20. - p. 3-6.

2. Vlasenko V. M. Physicochemical principles of ecological catalysis of gas-phase reactions. // Theoret. and experiment. chemistry. - 1993. - No. 6. - p. 482-500.

3. Vlasenko V. M., Boreskov G. K., Braude G. E. Catalytic purification of the nitrogen-hydrogen mixture from CO. // Chem. industry. - 1958. - No. 4. - C.4-9;
Vlasenko V.M., Boreskov G.K., Braude G.E. Catalytic purification of a nitrogen-hydrogen mixture from carbon dioxide. // Chem. industry. - 1958. - No. 8. - S. 21-23.

4. ↑ Vlasenko V. M. Features of non-traditional catalysis. // Thesei add. Symposium "Sochi problems and catalysis." - Donetsk, 2000 .-- p.51.

5. ↑. Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of April 12, 1990 N 357 // Library of normative legal acts of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics  http://www.libussr.ru/doc_ussr/usr_16418.htm

Links

• Development of physical chemistry at the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR / ed. ed. K. B. Yatsimirsky. - Kiev: Science. Dumka, 1977. −205 s. On the scientific activities of V. M. Vlasenko  p. 8, 11, 13, 15, 85, 86, 105, 107-110, 123, 125, 126, 129-130.

• Institute of Physical Chemistry. L.V. Pisarzhevsky / rev. ed. V. D. Pokhodenko. - Kiev: Science. Dumka, 1985. −24 p. About the scientific activity of V. M. Vlasenko - head of the department of environmental catalysis, p. 8, 11.

• Vlasenko Vasil Mikhailovich. - in the book: Ukr. glad. encyclical. words 2nd species., 1986, v. 1, p. 320. (Ukrainian)

• Institute of Physical Chemistry. L.V. Pisarzhevsky / rev. ed. V. D. Pokhodenko. - Kiev: Science. Dumka, 1986. −112 p. About the scientific activity of V. M. Vlasenko - pp. 11, 13, 31–36.

• Development of physical chemistry in Ukraine / resp. ed. V. D. Pokhodenko. - Kiev: Science. Dumka, 1989.264 s. On the scientific activity of V. M. Vlasenko  p. 26, 77, 78, 86, 91-104.

• 70-rіchchya corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the URSR V.M. Vlasenka // Visn. NAS of Ukraine, 1991, No. 9, pp. 103-104. (Ukrainian)

• Vlasenko V.M. - corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, 70th anniversary. // Ukr. Chem. Journal, 1991, vol. 57, No. 9, p. 1006.

• Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of the Ural Soviet Socialist Republic V.M. Vlasenko // Theoret. and experiment. Chemistry, 1991, v. 27, No. 5.  p. 521-524. (Russian)

• Vlasenko V.M. - On his seventy-fifth birthday .// Theoret. and experiment. Chemistry, 1996, T. 32, No. 6, p. 199.

• Vlasenko Vasil Mikhailovich. - in the book. National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Personal warehouse 1918-1998. - Kyiv: Fenix, 1998, p. 110. (Ukrainian)

• 90-rіchchya corresponding member of NAS of Ukraine V. M. Vlasenka // News. NAS of Ukraine, 2011, No. 9, pp. 72-73 .. (Ukrainian).

• Vlasenko V. M. Catalytic purification of gases. K .: Science.Dumka, 1973, 200p.

• Vlasenko V. M. Physicochemical fundamentals of ecological catalysis of gas-phase reactions // Teoret. and experiment. chemistry. - 1993. - No. 6. - p. 482-500.

• Vlasenko V. M. Ecological catalysis. K .: Nauk.Dumka, 2010 .-- 237 p.

• Vlasenko V.M., Wolfson V.Ya. Features of ecological catalysis.// In collection: Catalysis and catalysts. - 1982. - issue. 20. - p. 3-6.