Directions of scientific research:

• Study of the mineral and material composition of ores of radioactive, rare, rare earth and noble elements, assessment of deposits and ore fields, regions, provinces based on ore formation analysis with the preparation of geological and metallogenic maps of various scales.
• Mineralogical studies of ores of various metals and products of their technological processing.
• Assessment of the quality of ores in the subsoil at various stages of exploration and exploitation of deposits by the method of mineralogical and technological mapping, including sampling of ores, detailed mineralogical and technological study of samples in order to identify natural and industrial types, grades of ores;
• Estimation of predictive resources and calculation of metal reserves in uranium and rare metal deposits based on a comprehensive geological and structural study of specific objects and mineralogical and geochemical studies of ores.
• Study of the distribution of uranium isotopes, their behavior in natural and technological processes.
• Analysis of the domestic and world mineral resource base of uranium and rare metals and drawing up recommendations for conducting exploration and exploitation work in Russia.
• The staff of the department carried out studies of various metals (uranium, tantalum, niobium, gold, platinum, lithium, beryllium, etc.) at the largest primary, hydrogenous, sedimentary, alluvial deposits in Russia and the CIS countries, as well as mineralogical and technological studies at the largest deposits of ore regions Russia, Ukraine, Mongolia,
• Kazakhstan, Namibia, etc.
• VNIIHT has created the world’s only collection of uranium minerals and ores, which characterizes all types of uranium ores and deposit

Experimental base

The department is equipped with modern equipment that allows to conduct research on mineral raw materials at the modern level (Neophot metallographic microscope with Carl Zeiss optics, Olimpus GX-51 industrial microscope, CamScan electron microscope, which allows obtaining phase analysis in 100-200 seconds with a dimension of 0.05-Zmkm, Q-1500 D derivatograph, Camebax MS-46 X-ray microanalyzer), PGS-2 spectrograph with Carl Zeiss optics, and Discoplan-TS complex for making transparent and opaque thin sections. The department performs a full range of practical work, from mineralogical and technological mapping and sampling, studying the material composition of ores, the geological structure of deposits to calculating reserves and protecting them in the State Committee for Reserves.