Karpachev Sergey Vasilievich (1906-1987) is a famous Russian scientist, one of the founders of high-temperature electrochemistry school. He started his career in 1925 as a laboratory assistant of the Ural Polytechnical Institute.
1930 – graduated from the Institute;
1932-1948 – a head of the Molten Salts Electrochemistry Lab at the Ural Physical-Technical Institute. Afterwards, the Institute was merged into Ural Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences;
1941-1948 – a head of Physical Chemistry department at the Ural State University (USU);
1946-1947 – a pro-rector for research at USU;
1949-1956 – he worked with important governmental tasks related to construction of defense machinery;
1956-1963 – a rector of USU;
1963-1977 – a director of the Institute of Electrochemistry at the Ural Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences;
1965-1984 – S.V. Karpachev supervised the Electrochemical Kinetics of Solid Electrolytes Lab.
1970 – he was elected as a Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
Scientific activity of S.V. Karpachev is connected with electrochemistry of molten salts and solid electrolytes. His early works dedicated to studying the technology of magnesium and aluminum production helped to solve a series of theoretical and practical problems of electrochemical technology. Accomplished research under Karpachev’s supervision related to the electrode polarization in melts, contact potential difference of metals and others have never lost their importance and made a great contribution to the worldwide electrochemistry. He is truly one of the founders of the Ural Electrochemistry School, the author of pioneer works in the field of electrochemical kinetics in solid electrolytes. He was the first who obtained data regarding the capacity of double electric layer in solid electrolytes, kinetics regularities for oxygen exchange reactions between electrolyte and gas phase.
Under his leadership the 28 PhD works were defended. Eight of his students became Doctor of Sciences and headed scientific groups. For a long time S.V. Karpachev was a head of Solid Electrolytes Department at the USSR Academy of Sciences Scientific Council in the field of physical chemistry of ionic melts and solid electrolytes, and a member of the World Electrochemical Society. For the great achievements in the field of science and defense technology S.V. Karpachev was twice awarded with title of honor of the USSR Prize Winner, decorated with the Order of Lenin, four orders of “Red Labor Flag” and an order “Znak Pocheta”.
