Halurgy is a field of science and technology for exploration, mining, dressing and comprehensive processing of natural mineral salts
The history of the institute establishment is directly related to the development of potash industry in the country and in the world.
Development of national reserves of potash salts in Russia began in the 1920s of the 20th century. In 1925, the Verkhnekamskoye potash deposit, the world’s largest potash deposit, was discovered in the Urals. One of the discoverers of commercial reserves was Pavel I. Preobrazhenskiy. In 1927 after one and half a year of the work the first exploration brigade near Solikamsk found out that the potash deposits here are enormous and they are closer to the ground surface than in Germany and France. At that time a construction of the First Potash Plant started, named after the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution.
The Salt laboratory of the Academy of Sciences of USSR was created in Leningrad to strengthen and expand mineral resources base of USSR and study salt lakes and mineral salt deposits. The Laboratory was a precursor of the future All Union research and development institute of halurgy - VNIIG. The founder of the Laboratory and the first director of the Institute was Professor, Doctor of Chemical Sciences Vladimir P. Ilyinskiy.
Initially, the Laboratory staff studied lakes in Western Siberia, Central Asia, Pribalkhash and Priirtyshie. They studied hydrochemistry of the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay, etc. In 1935, the Laboratory received the status of the All-Union Research Institute of Halurgy, and from the mid-1930s, potash became the leading subject in the Institute's research plan.
At the beginning of the industrial development of Verkhnekamskoye deposit the institute’s specialists studied geochemistry, petrography, gas content of sylvinite and carnallite, carried out gravitational survey, planned exploration drilling in the deposit, research on dissolution rate of rock salt, sylvinite and carnallite. Major importance was given to selection and calculation of rational and safe parameters of the deposit development, determination of borders for water proof formation.
At that period the institute’s scientists began to work on the technique of magnesium metal production, which was of high public and economic importance. Fundamental research of carnallite feedstock was performed and a technique of dehydrated carnallite production for magnesium production was developed. The scientists carried out research works on hydroxide and magnesium oxide production.
The country’s needs in expansion of potash fertilizers production caused foundation of branches – research laboratories directly in potash facilities: Belarus, Kalush and Ural branches.
The Ural branch of VNIIG was established in Perm on 13th October 1972. It was responsible for scientific and technical policy at Verkhnekamskoye potash-magnesium salt deposit, and main tasks were as follows: development and implementation of new technologies; performance of design works; creation and improvement of the equipment for potash industry of Perm region. Initially, the Institute represented an integrated department where a basis for future departments and laboratories were formed. Valeriy G. Ferapontov was a head of the integrated department, later he was assigned as a chief engineer of Ural VNIIG. In 1974, the integrated department was transformed into several independent design departments. The first director of Ural research and development institute of halurgy became Victor V. Filatov. Thanks to his organisational talent, great responsibility and creative attitude to work, a team of highly-qualified specialists was formed, an engineering laboratory building was designed and constructed in a relatively short term.
The Institute and the branches were transformed into independent joint stock companies. In the severe period of the 1990s, Yuri V. Buksha became a Director of the closed joint stock company VNII Galurgii (in Saint Petersburg).
Thanks to him, the social stability was ensured and the Institute's labour collective was preserved. The Institute not only survived, but also managed to significantly strengthen its influence in the mining and chemical industry and agro-industrial complex. Under his leadership and with his direct participation, a technology of potassium sulphate production was developed and implemented at the Konstantinovskiy and Mendeleevskiy chemical plants, Soligorsk 4 plant, as well as food salt production at the Berezniki 4 plant. Yuri Vladimirovich participated in the design of the Baltic Bulk Terminal (BBT) for mineral fertiliser transshipment. He was the General Director of the Institute from 2006 to 2014.
Joint stock company Ural research and development institute of halurgy (Galurgia OJSC), after overcoming an economic crisis under the guidance of Arkadiy Ya. Grinberg, became one of the leading research and development institutes in potash industry.
At that time, the Institute was actively realizing a market development strategy performing works for the enterprises of Belarus, Tatarstan, Yakutia, in Gorkiy, Tula, Orenburg regions, the cities of: Berezniki, Solikamsk, Perm, Chaikovskiy.
In the first decade of the 21st century, the Ural Institute was actively developing a design process, implementing CAD.
Saint Petersburg VNIIG and Perm Institute reunited, so that with common efforts they could provide solving technical tasks for development of the technique for mining and processing potash ores in the enterprises of the biggest potash fertilizers producer not only in Russia but also in the world – Uralkali PJSC.