Palguev Sergey Fedorovich (1919-2001) is one of the founders of Ural school of electrochemists. He was born on the 24th of September 1919 in Nevyansk. He was the sixth and the youngest child in the family. In 1941 he graduated from the Ural State University, chemistry department and during whole Great Patriotic War and afterwards he used to work as an inspector foreman at Uralmashzavod. In June 1946 he entered postgraduate studentship at the Institute of chemistry and metallurgy of UB RAS, and on 16th of July 1949 he defended his PhD work with the title “Study of ions transfer numbers in pure molten salts” under the supervision of famous electrochemist, DSc, professor S.V. Karpachev who was the head of the Electrochemistry Lab. The Institute of Electrochemistry of UB RAS was found in 1957 on the base of this Lab. Its first director was M.V. Smirnov, and the first scientific secretary – S.F. Palguev. Also Sergey Fedorovich became the first head of the Solid Electrolytes Physical-Chemical Properties Lab, the only Lab in the USSR specialized in solid electrolytes. Sergey Fedorovich leaded this Lab for 30 years till 1987 when Professor Burmakin E.I., a specialist in the field of cation electrolytes, followed him.
S.V. Palguev got his Doctor of Science degree in January 1965, and in 1968 he became a professor. The basic research of the Laboratory was focused not only on materials of high-temperature fuel cells – solid electrolytes with oxygen conductivity and electrode materials but on development of fuel cell, oxygen sensors and electrolyzers design. In 1968 the first in the world SOFC with solid oxide electrolyte and capacity of 50 Wt (leader of the group, PhD, Neuimin A.D.) was fabricated and tested. The theoretical research was performed on the highest professional level (V.N. Chebotin, L.M. Solovyeva). The study was emphasized on electrode processes at solid electrolytes (A.D. Neuimin, A.T. Filyaev, M.V. Perfiliev, M.V. Glumov, B.L. Kuzin) and oxide electrode materials (A.D. Neuimin, V.I. Zemtsov, V.K Gilderman, E.L. Anikina). In 1958 the new e.m.f. method for determination of ion transfer numbers in oxide materials (A.D. Neuimin) was developed. Now it is widely used in research work.
The electrical conductivity study of individual oxides and binary systems (Z.S. Volchenkova, V.M. Nedopekin, D.S. Zubankova, V.P. Gorelov, V.B. Balakireva, A.N. Vlasov), turnery systems (Yu.N. Karavaev) in wide temperature range in different gas media was carried out. The X-ray analysis including analysis at high temperature (up to 1500ºC) (V.N. Strekalovskiy, G.V. Burov, V.N. Zubankov, V.P. Gorelov) was widely performed. For the first time in USSR the high temperature proton electrolytes investigations were carried out. (V.P.Gorelov, V.B. Balakireva, D.S. Zubankova).
Three new laboratories separated out of the Solid Electrolytes Physical-Chemical Properties Lab during this period of time: in 1967- Laboratory of Kinetics (head of Lab, Member-Corr. S.V. Karpachev), in 1973 – Theoretical group (head of group, DSc, V.N. Chebotin), in 1983 – the Laboratory of Electrochemical Devices (head of lab, PhD Neuimin A.D.).
According to annual report 2001 Palguev’s summary achievements can be acknowledged: over 500 papers, 4 monographs, 45 inventor’s certificates, 26 PhDs, 2 Doctor of Sciences. He succeeded due to his talents-diligence and ability to highlight the key points. He brought into practice the main motor of happy men:” Be one step forwards”. Sergey Fedorovich learned how to deal with computer when he was already 78. He always appreciated creative latitude, and maybe that’s why so many outstanding researchers were grown up in his Lab.
S.V. Palguev died on the 22 of December 2001.
