The The Academic School of V.I. Trefilov

Abstract

The article is devoted to V.I. Trefilov, an outstanding Ukrainian researcher in materials science. Trefilov graduated from Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, the faculty of metallurgy. After obtaining a diploma he was placed at the Institute for Metal Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, where he created a group of adherents in his field at early 60s. In 1962 he became the deputy director of this Institute on research. His subsequent research biography is associated with the Institute for Problems of Materials Science, which he headed in 1973 and continued to be its irremovable director till 2001.

Trefilov’s qualities as a scientist, a person and a science administrator who created a powerful academic school in the materials science in Kyiv in 70—90s of the past century are highlighted. The contribution of Trefilov and his school in the global science is shown; his research and organizing activities are analyzed. It is demonstrated that research interests of Trefilov and his followers in the field of strength and plasticity were concentrated on the areas of phase transformations in high-speed heating; dislocation theory and mechanisms of fragile ruining; dislocation mechanism of plastic deformation; mechanism for plastic deformation of covalent crystals and diamond; problems of powder metallurgy, ceramic and other materials, which detailed reviews are given.

The personal composition of the school is given. The research team headed by Trefilov can be characterized as an academic school according to the set of relevant criteria. A prominent feature of this school is that its theoretical developments were always introduced in industry in form of new composites, alloys or technologies.