Institute of Metallurgy

Archaeological research conducted since the 1960s in the western Mazovia (central region of Poland), has unveiled an extensive iron production centre from the late pre-Roman and Roman periods, referred to as the Mazovian Centre of Metallurgy. This centre, established by the people of the Przeworsk culture, who inhabited vast areas of southern and central Poland from the 2nd century BC to the midd 5th century AD, indicates a significant scale of local iron production, constituting a crucial aspect of the regional economy. However, iron production was not the only branch of the local economy. Relics of amber workshops have been recorded on several settlements. Within them, remains of all stages of amber processing have been discovered: lumps of raw material, semi-finished and finished products (mainly beads). The presence of amber workshops in the western Mazovia is somewhat surprising, as amber does not occur naturally in this part of Poland. Its influx could have been linked to a long-distance exchange, including iron produced in the region.

ABSTRACT The concentration of uranium in uranium‐bearing pregnant solution is a key parameter reflecting the efficiency of in situ leaching for uranium mining and is usually at the mg/L level. Current methods face difficulties in obtaining the species and concentration of uranyl complexes in the pregnant solution at the mg/L level quickly and nondestructively. In this work, an analytical method for species identification and concentration detection at the mg/L level of uranyl complexes was proposed based on quantitative Raman spectroscopy. Using the pregnant solution from the CO 2 + O 2 in situ leaching as the standard sample, the Raman quantitative relationships of uranyl complex concentrations in the pregnant solution were established. The results show the following: Based on Raman spectroscopy, uranyl dicarbonate [UO 2 (CO 3 ) 2 2− ] and uranyl tricarbonate [UO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 4− ] can be quickly identified. Using water as the internal standard, the concentrations of both UO 2 (CO 3 ) 2 2− and UO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 4− are in the linear relationship with the peak height ratio of the Raman peaks, which can be used to detect the concentration of uranyl complexes in the low‐concentration pregnant solution.

The Introduction presents the rationale for choosing the topics discussed in this paper, which are believed to be deeply linked to the author's hypotheses. The Discussion and Conclusions section discusses the topics of Artificial Intelligence, the Standard Model of Particle Physics, and Order in Quantum Chaos, which, in addition to demonstrating the desired connections, are topics that spark significant debate in the academic world. With regard to Artificial Intelligence and considering what has been discussed, the author believes that, in terms of speed and creativity in solving and presenting solutions to the problems proposed, there seems to be no doubt that AIs will be able to surpass humans in virtually all aspects that may be presented for comparison. As for whether or not they will be able to acquire consciousness, his opinion is that yes; this possibility can be considered real but still remote, depending on whether AIs can access or have knowledge of a possible “process” that, according to the author, enables the human brain to receive and give meaning to the information it receives from the surrounding environment. He believes that, with the increase in its complexity, AIs would become increasingly able to access this “process,” whose mechanism has not yet been discovered. The explanation given for the divergence that was discussed with the focus on the Genetic Model of the Atom may imply its validation and, considering the argument used in its development, it seems to be proven that a transmission of information occurred - that is, a transmission of meaningful signals which could only occur between two cognitive entities - which seems to imply the existence of a Primary Universal Consciousness. In the author's opinion, confirmation of the above assumptions could lead to a profound change in the way physics approaches its research, making it more organic. Taking into account the various ideas contained in the models and theories discussed and considering the genetic groups that emerged in the development of the Genetic Model of the Atom, it is suggested that the composition of the graviton particle is given by the genetic group “nmt,” composed of the three neutrinos that are supposed to exist; that is, the electron, muon, and tau neutrinos. It is also suggested that the composition of the photon would be that of the genetic group “emt,” composed of an electron and the muon and tau neutrinos, with the photon appearing to have this composition due to the expulsion by the electron of the electron neutrino from the composition of the graviton. Concluding the topic on the Standard Model of Physics, the author briefly describes his ideas about the beginning and evolution of the universe. He proposes that the absolute vacuum, being unstable, transformed into a quantum vacuum: a dynamic system where energy fluctuation allows the emergence of particle-antiparticle pairs. This vacuum is viewed not merely as an energy reservoir, but as the substrate of the Primary Universal Consciousness. Through Poincaré Resonances, information flows from the quantum field to the material world, collapsing the wave function and allowing matter to organize according to the proposed Genetic Model. In addressing Order in Quantum Chaos, experimental results are shown that prove the existence of order which, obeying the laws of thermodynamics, allows irreversible entropic dissipative processes responsible for the emergence of life. Ultimately, this work concludes that the Genetic Model of the Atom provides a plausible explanation for the symmetry breaking observed in Strontium-73 and Bromine-73 isotopes, with minimal relative errors (0.2% to 2.0%). The numerical convergence between the 64 proposed genetic groups and the 64 predicted fundamental particles suggests that the universe follows an informational code analogous to biological DNA. This transition to an "Organic Physics" integrates AIs, human consciousness, and thermodynamics into a single framework, where the validation of graviton (nmt) and photon (emt) compositions paves the way for the unification of Gravity and Electromagnetism as transmissions of meaningful signals within a Universal Consciousness.

Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) exhibit unique functional properties associated with reversible martensitic transformation. This study investigates quenching methods on the microstructure and properties of Cu-27.66Al-12.39Mn (at.%) alloy. The alloy was fabricated by gravity casting, homogenized at 900 °C for 2 h with air cooling, and subsequently betatized at 900 °C for 30 min followed by three quenching routes: direct quenching (DQ), up quenching (UQ), and step quenching (SQ) The microstructure evolution of betatized sample was characterized by x-ray diffraction, optical and scanning electron microscope. The mechanical properties were evaluated by hardness and semi-empirical bending test. The alloy exhibited a β1 (L21) microstructure in both as-cast and as-homogenized conditions, with grain growth observed. The quenching method significantly effects on microstructure and hardness of Cu-Al-Mn alloy. All quenching method resulted in partial formation β ʹ1 (18R) martensite with thin plate morphology. The hardness values of DQ, UQ, and SQ samples were 366.71, 359.61, and 347.74 HVN, respectively, relating with the inverse relationship with grain size. The martensitic transformation temperature expected on cryogenic temperature (< -60 °C), so the strain recovery test at room temperature failed.

Indonesia, home to the world’s largest nickel laterite reserves, plays a vital role in global stainless steel and EV battery supply chains. Traditionally dominated by energy and capital-intensive pyrometallurgical methods (RKEF and BF), the industry has recently introduced hydrometallurgical HPAL technology to meet EV battery demand. However, both methods are environmentally burdensome and leave parts of laterite reserves unutilized, fueling Indonesia’s image as a “dirty nickel” producer. Heap leaching offers a compelling alternative: a low-cost, scalable, and eco-efficient hydrometallurgical process well- suited to Indonesia’s tropical laterites and low-grade ores. It improves ore utilization, reduces emissions and operational costs, and generates more stable tailings suitable for rehabilitation or use as plantation media. The process also enables recovery of by-products like magnesium sulfate, supporting circular economy practices and unlocking new revenue. Operational flexibility allows heap leaching to produce nickel for both stainless steel and battery-grade markets. Compared to conventional methods, it offers advantages in emissions, water use, waste management, economics, and local knowledge transfer. Embracing this technology could redefine Indonesia’s nickel sector, positioning the country as a leader in clean and responsible mineral extraction.