This investigation analyzes the influence of alkali metal compounds introduced into the firing process through the bentonite binder contained in iron ore pellets on the durability of grate bar assemblies in conveyor-type induration machines. During pellet firing, sodium- and potassium-bearing components inherent to montmorillonitic bentonites transform into reactive forms and interact at high temperatures with the grate bar material. In the presence of chromium in the steel, a complex oxide scale develops at the metal–oxide interface, incorporating low-melting chromate phases. These phases significantly reduce the protective capacity of the oxide film, promote intense scale spalling, and accelerate high-temperature chemical erosion, ultimately resulting in rapid and catastrophic grate bar degradation. To evaluate the degradation mechanisms, laboratory tests were carried out on samples of cast steel 40Kh24N12SL, which were oxidized and exposed to sodium-containing components at 1070 °C for six hours. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed the formation of multilayer oxide scales enriched in sodium and chromium and the presence of reaction products characteristic of chromates, confirming the intensification of corrosion processes in the presence of alkali metals. The obtained results clarify the origins of severe grate bar wear under pellet induration conditions when bentonite is used as the binder. Since the alkali metal content is defined by the mineralogical nature of bentonite and is technologically necessary for achieving adequate pellet strength, its reduction is not feasible. Therefore, mitigating the destructive effect of alkali metals must rely on selecting more corrosion-resistant alloys for grate bars and optimizing the temperature–oxidation parameters of the firing process.

The study addresses the problem of the deteriorating quality of the raw material base in the Ukrainian coking industry, which is primarily caused by the increasing proportion of low-caking, high-ash, and high-sulfur coal grades in the charge. This transformation in the composition of the feedstock adversely affects the thermotechnical parameters of the coking process, leading to uneven thermal decomposition of coal components and deteriorating the physico-mechanical properties of the resulting coke, thereby limiting its applicability in blast furnace operations. One of the promising approaches to correcting the technological characteristics of the coal charge is the application of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) cryogels as a binding and structure-forming component during the partial briquetting of coal. The mechanisms of three-dimensional porous structure formation in PVA cryogels under cyclic freeze-thaw conditions are described, highlighting their water solubility, non-toxicity, excellent film-forming ability, and efficiency in stabilizing dispersed coal particles. Experimental studies are presented to determine the optimal PVA content, freezing regimes, and drying parameters of the briquettes. It has been established that the incorporation of 5–10% PVA ensures the formation of a robust cryogel matrix, which provides the briquettes with enhanced mechanical stability, reduces their brittleness, and prevents structural failure during transportation and charging into coking chambers. The study demonstrates that the use of PVA cryogels compensates for the deficit of high-caking coal grades, improves the homogeneity of the coal charge, intensifies the initial stages of carbonization, and ensures the production of coke with the required operational properties. The obtained results confirm the high efficiency of using PVA as an innovative tool for raw material modification under contemporary industrial and resource constraints, providing a viable strategy to optimize coke quality and overall process performance in modern coking operations.

The article presents an empirical study of the global cryptocurrency market in the context of its evolution under the influence of macroeconomic, technological and geopolitical factors, as well as the broader framework of the global green transition. By analyzing market dynamics across several critical periods, including the pre COVID crisis phase, the COVID 19 pandemic, the full scale russian invasion of Ukraine and the most recent stage of partial recovery, the study characterizes the structural features of cryptocurrency volatility in comparison with traditional financial instruments, particularly the S&P 500 and USDX indices. The empirical component of the methodology is based on open access datasets from CoinMarketCap, TradingView and Investing.com, which enables a comparative assessment of cryptocurrency trends and stock market movements. The findings demonstrate that cryptocurrency markets remain highly sensitive to news flows, regulatory decisions and speculative activity by large investors, which complicates the application of conventional fundamental analysis methods. Special attention is devoted to the environmental dimension of crypto industry development. The high energy consumption of Bitcoin is identified as a major barrier to integrating blockchain technologies into sustainability oriented economic frameworks. The study also examines the potential of environmentally oriented tokens, most notably the Energy Web Token, which is positioned as a tool for supporting decarbonization processes in energy markets but continues to exhibit weak price performance and limited investor demand in comparison with green energy indices. The comparative analysis reveals a substantial gap between the conceptual value of green tokens and their actual market perception. Overall, the results confirm that despite the continuing expansion of the emergence of new technological solutions, the integration of cryptoassets into the green transition remains fragmented. Meaningful advancement in this direction requires clearer regulatory frameworks, technological improvements and stronger alignment between blockchain applications and measurable environmental outcomes.

The article analyzes the errors of digital measurement of speed (DVS) of rotation of the electric drive shaft using the signal of the angle sensor (AOS), which is part of the encoder, since in modern process automation systems (AUS TP) two different measuring devices are traditionally used to control the position and speed of rotation of the drive motor shaft: an encoder and a tachogenerator. The aim of the work is to develop an adaptive method for digital measurement of shaft rotation speed with reduced methodological error based on the existing encoder. The essence of the method is to count the number of pulses of a highly stable clock generator (timer) during one signal period. The methodological and dynamic components of the error are considered, their analytical dependencies and the results of numerical modeling for low-speed and high-speed mechanisms of metallurgical production are given. A method for reducing methodological error by increasing the measurement base is proposed and tested. The implementation of an economical DCS system based on a 16-bit microcontroller is shown, which provides a combination of position and speed measurement functions in a single sensor and eliminates the need to use a tachogenerator. The cost of the proposed solution is 6-7 times lower than the cost of a traditional scheme using a tachogenerator, since the indicated cost of the proposed solution is about 450 UAH (microcontroller and minimal wiring), which is significantly lower than the cost of an industrial tachogenerator (from 3000 UAH). The exclusion of the tachogenerator also simplifies installation, reduces the dimensions of the control cabinet and increases the reliability of the system by reducing the number of components.

The meso-level is important in the management of the economic processes of the country, then it allows to ensure the specifics of the development of individual territories and to adapt the general strategies of state management to local conditions. The method of work is the study of world trends, as complex successful strategies of economic development at the meso level. In the course of the conducted research, the author applied a whole complex of general and special scientific methods in order to achieve the set goal. which, the methodological basis of the work is the method of generalization, the method of systematization, the method of analysis and synthesis, methods of comparative analysis, system-structural analysis. It has been established that the meso-level ensures the effective implementation of state programs at the local level and stimulates innovative development, increasing the overall productivity and vitality of the region. It is noted that the economic development of mesoeconomic systems depends on various factors, in particular: legal, social, political, which promote and limit one and ultimately lead to the establishment of a high degree of uncertainty. The legal factor in the development of mesoeconomic systems is the right of legislative state bodies to adopt normative legal acts that apply the territorial structure of the country, organizational forms of mesosystems. The social factor of the development of mesoeconomic systems reflects the process of formation and development of social strata of the region's population. The political factor of the development of the mesoeconomic system is a component for determining the influence of various subjects of the mesoeconomic system on the macroeconomic policy of the state. The main modern world trends, which play an important role in the formation of successful economic development strategies at the meso level, are considered, in particular, digitalization, circular economy, "green" investment, participation in global added value chains, consideration of migration trends and human capital, decentralization, use of new financial resources. technologies, public-private partnership.

The ZELIS automated system is designed for testing students' knowledge in two modes: forms and dialogue. The system was developed at the State University of Economics and Technology (Kryvyi Rih) and has been operating since 2015. Students receive tickets with questions and forms for choosing the correct answer. The teacher sets the number of tickets with forms. It is used both online and offline. Tickets contain text, tables, figures, formulas, etc., that is, all the possibilities of the MS WORD editor. Questions and answer options are generated randomly. As the operation showed, the most effective number is 30 questions and 5 answers to them. When working with forms, a large number of people are tested. Each form is scanned to receive a raster file in *.jpg format. To recognize these files, a mathematical apparatus has been developed that accurately determines the number of the correct answer based on the form. On the form, 5 squares are allocated for each question. The student marks the square with the correct answer with a tick or a cross. The main task is to determine the square with the correct answer. To do this, the image is first cleaned so that each pixel is characterized by black or white color. As a result, the recognized form is not only converted into a black and white format, but also cleaned of all kinds of "garbage". After that, choose a square with the maximum number of black pixels. In the online mode, students receive input data through the Internet, which is relevant in the conditions of martial law, as well as when testing students' knowledge during the educational process without additional use of laboratory time. Students have an application that reads the questions and answers of their tickets and fills out an electronic form in which the correct answers are highlighted. The results of the answers are sent to the cloud environment. In the dialogue mode, the student chooses an answer to each question, and as a result, a grade and assessment time are formed. ZELIS software is updated in the Visual Studio 2019 environment in the C# programming language using the MS ACCESS or SQL SERVER DBMS, as well as the FireBase RealTime DataBase cloud DBMS.

The relevance of the topic "Development of an Android application for controlling a smart greenhouse on Arduino" is due to the opportunities offered by the field of automated device development, as well as the attention to this field of IT development, both by specialists and users who have certain tasks in production, in business, at home and other areas whose needs can be solved with the help of these technologies. Therefore, the purpose of the research is development of the device, the software for it, and production of a mobile application for controlling the created device. Using the developed device, software and its application, you can create, for example, an automatic greenhouse, which will save time and resources with maximum return. During the study of the automation of the processes of control and management of environmental parameters, the requirements that must be fulfilled during the automation of the receipt and processing of sensor readings were clearly formulated. On the basis of the analysis of the already conducted research works, the main functional components that should be inherent in any automated control system with the possibility of remote control have been selected. In the process of research, the need to use the integrated development environment Arduino IDE and Android Studio is substantiated. Arduino IDE is designed to write, compile, and load programs into Arduino microcontroller memory, and Android Studio is the official Android application development tool based on JetBrains' IntelliJ IDEA software. The process of creating the device is fully described, with a step-by-step review of each element and the sequence of actions. The program code is provided and the principle of operation of all its components is described. The principle of operation of the Android application is also demonstrated. It contains information about the state of the greenhouse (temperature and humidity) and has the ability to turn on cooling both automatically and manually. Information is presented in the form of graphs that change dynamically.

Ensuring global international security requires a thorough study of threats that negatively affect processes in countries around the world. Given the nature of threats, the goal of security research is to timely identify, overcome an existing or prevent a potential threat by partially or completely neutralizing the impact of threats. In connection with global challenges to the modern system of international security, the concept of individual and collective security in the world is being revised. This is forcing the countries of the world and military-economic blocs to reconsider their defense policies, focus on increasing military budgets and developing new defense strategies. Identification, analysis and forecast of global challenges in the modern system of international security are very important and relevant. The purpose of the article is to identify the problems and prospects for countering the global challenges of the modern international security system. The development of geopolitical relations in the modern world is determined by current global security problems that directly or indirectly affect all countries of the world. The modern world is faced with many challenges that require not only a defensive response, but also countermeasures aimed at eliminating not only the problems themselves, but also the risk factors caused by these problems. The main attention should be focused not only on countering threats, but also on developing preventive measures to overcome the possible consequences of an increase in new global and regional risks to national security. It has been proven that the main global challenges to international security are: military actions between countries and frozen conflicts, economic globalization, competition for resources, climate change and environmental problems, mass uncontrolled migration, technological changes and cybersecurity, international terrorism and extremism. The result of overcoming existing or preventing potential global threats is the protection of national and international interests and ensuring the sovereignty of states.

The aim of the article is to explore the level of development and maturity of the concept of sustainable financing, examine its components and defining characteristics, and assess the trends in its development. Several research questions have been formulated: What is the essential content of the definition of «sustainable financing», and what evolutionary changes have occurred in the conceptual approach to financing sustainable development? What can be identified as the peculiarities of the concept of sustainable financing and the content and changes in its main components? What is the current state of development of the global and European sustainable investing market and its prospects for development? It was established that evolution of the concept has led to fundamental shifts in the understanding of investment principles and distinctions between responsible investing and sustainable development investing based on ESG principles: under the former approach, the goal of financial market participants is to mitigate the risks associated with transitioning to sustainable development, while under the second approach - to benefit from the realization of sustainable development opportunities. The opinion is expressed that based on the set of signs and patterns, it is possible to state a break in the existing system of views on capital allocation processes in financial markets, and according to the degree of maturity, this break indicates the transition from the "concept" to the "paradigm" of sustainable financing. It is argued that the peculiarities of sustainable financing are determined by its components, its goal function, the diverse spectrum of financial market participants, and the financial instruments. Sustainable finance has been found to help transform both economies and societies through more responsible development and investment around the world, but its development trends in recent years have been influenced by geopolitical factors such as pandemics and war.