Consumer Properties Research Articles

MODERN COATING TECHNOLOGIES

The development of the country is determined by the efficiency of enterprises and organizations, which should simply survive in difficult conditions, and pursue an active strategy of transformation. Innovations in the technology of protective and decorative metal coatings create the necessary level of competition in the domestic paint and varnish coating. Innovative development of the country’s economy is one of the highest priorities of state policy. The strategy of modernization is determined by the consistent transition of the economy to an innovative model of development to solve the problem of strategic support for sustainable and long-term dynamics of innovation processes. However, today there is no necessary level of competition in the domestic innovation market and entrepreneurs are aware of the importance of innovation in creating competitive advantages, as well as an adequate legal framework governing relations in the field of innovation. In addition, the generation of knowledge takes place in the public sphere, the application of this knowledge or the implementation of the obtained scientific and technical results is in the commercial industry. Metal has been and remains the main structural material of the industry – from means of production to consumer products, and the primary consumer properties of the product include its appearance and durability. Rust can kill these qualities in a matter of months and days, so perhaps more important is the quality of the product itself, and the quality of its coating. In this paper, an analysis of modern coating technologies is carried out, the strengths and weaknesses of different coating technologies are identified.

Development of the industry of synthetic materials in Russia with the application of sustainability / Desenvolvimento da indústria de materiais sintéticos na Rússia com a aplicação da sustentabilidade

The production of synthetic materials is actively developing at the world: USA, Germany, Japan, China, India [1]. This is due perfect consumer properties of synthetic materials successfully compete with natural fabrics, and surpass them in some properties. At the same time, the production of synthetic materials is characterized by a reduction in labor and capital costs, automation of the process and the possibility of processing secondary materials. The article shows the measures of impact on the environment and production capacity to reduce the adverse impacts on the environment and the contribution of fabrics to the field of labor protection, through the development of modern personal protective equipment and workwear. These actions are a promising direction for the development of the manufacturing industry in Russia.

Analysis of the main directions of import substitution in the market of bioceramic materials

The bioceramics market is characterized by rapid growth rates and may be of undoubted interest to manufacturers. The main direction of use is the manufacture of materials for endoprotheses in traumatology and surgery; implantation in maxillofacial surgery; use as materials for the replacement of bone defects, as well as in dentistry. The innovative products under consideration have a high potential for competitiveness due to their technical characteristics and consumer properties, which implies the possibility of commercialization in selected segments as one of the areas of import substitution. Further implementation should take into account branding, the development of an expanded marketing company and additional investment support.

A multiplicative approach to optimize the consumer properties of quick-frozen semifinished products from cultivated champignons

It is possible to maximise the consumer properties of grown fruit and vegetable products, significantly reduce their losses during the life cycle, and satisfy the public demand for products ready for consumption by using different preservation methods, particularly freezing. It has been found that the freezing of mushrooms without pretreatment does not provide a high-quality finished product. It justifies the expediency of mushroom pretreatment before freezing to stabilize their consumer properties. The inhibition effect of high temperatures on the oxidoreductase activity has been confirmed, ensuring the high preservation of cultivated champignons' natural color and consistency. A quasimetric assessment of the quality of quick-frozen cultivated mushrooms was performed, and the optimal heat treatment parameters were determined. Before freezing, blanched mushrooms' efficiency with polysaccharides has been scientifically proved. Rational concentrations and types of polysaccharides for mushroom processing have been determined. It has been established that blanching champignons in 0.1% citric acid solution followed by xanthan gum (0.2%), guar gum (0.1%), and lamidan (0.1%) processing ensure stability of consumer properties of quick-frozen semifinished products made of cultured champignons. After defrosting, they have an attractive appearance, natural light brown colour, elastic consistency, well-expressed mushroom flavour, and harmonious taste.

Contactless ultrasonic method for determining knitted fabrics tension

The values of the measured amplitudes of ultrasonic vibrations that have passed the controlled material have been obtained. These values were compared with the amplitude of the waves passing through the fabric sample when the initial tension was applied to it. After that, the total current value of the tension of each sample of the knitted fabric in its three zones was determined. The distribution of the total tension in different zones of the sample material was also determined. It has been established that the amplitude of ultrasonic waves passing through different zones of the textile material can be used to determine the tension of the knitted fabric over the entire width of its fabric. The possibility and expediency of determining the fabric tension on knitting equipment by using the ultrasonic contactless method has been shown. The tension of the knitted fabric in its manufacture is the main technological parameter, the value of which determines the physical, mechanical and consumer properties of the finished fabric, especially basis weight. The use of operational technological control of the tension of knitted fabrics directly during their production will improve the quality of finished products, and, accordingly, the reliability of use in personal protective equipment, in particular in body armour. It has been proposed to determine the tension of knitted fabrics in their production on knitting equipment by changing the amplitude of ultrasonic waves passing through the material under the action of tension, which also changes during the movement of the process equipment. The proposed contactless method is quite promising, since it has a number of significant advantages over the existing contact methods. In the course of the research, experimental measurements of the amplitude of ultrasonic waves have been carried out. These waves passed through samples of fabric of various materials while stretching. The samples of knitted fabrics were irradiated with an ultrasonic pulse signal with a wave frequency of 40 kHz. The samples of knitted fabrics from 58x2 Tex Kevlar threads and high molecular weight 44x3 Tex polyethylene yarns with double weave 1x1 elastic have been taken as a basis for the research. For textile fabrics, the structure of which does not allow stretching through pores under the action of tension, it is necessary to additionally adjust the contactless sensors in frequency and capacity depending on the corresponding sample. The values of the measured amplitudes of ultrasonic vibrations that have passed the controlled material have been obtained. These values were compared with the amplitude of the waves passing through the fabric sample when the initial tension was applied to it. After that, the total current value of the tension of each sample of the knitted fabric in its three zones was determined. The distribution of the total tension in different zones of the sample material was also determined. The dependences of the amplitude of ultrasonic waves, transmitted through the textile material in its different zones, on the value of the total tension, and on the value of the distribution of the tension of the fabric over its entire width were obtained. The deviations δP of the tension display between the determination of this parameter by the standard and ultrasonic methods are shown. The deviations δU between the amplitudes of waves passing through different zones of the controlled fabric are also determined.

Developing a competitiveness management model for entrepreneurial structures in the hotel and restaurant business

The object of research is the organizational and economic processes of competitiveness management of entrepreneurial structures of hotel and restaurant business. One of the biggest problems today is the need to deepen the theoretical and methodological foundations, develop models and management mechanisms to increase the competitiveness of the hotel and restaurant business in times of crisis and information transformation of society. In the course of the research a model of management the competitiveness of the hotel and restaurant business during the crisis and informatization of society was developed, the new elements of which are the areas of improving the theory and methodology of management processes. The prospects of applying an inclusive human-centric approach to the management of enterprise competitiveness, as well as a set of basic consumer properties of hotel and restaurant products are substantiated. Based on them, the characteristics of personnel, sets of basic competitive strategies and dissipative structures of management of production activities of enterprises are determined. It is established that the increase in demand and inclusive development of the hotel and restaurant business occurs if the main consumer property of its products («economy», «quality», «creative differentiation») coincides with the psychophysiological characteristics of workers («dynamic sensor», «static quality innovator», «intuitive creator») and the type of structure of management of production activities (economic-, quality-, differential-dissipative structure), which is enshrined in the standards. The joint action of the laws of supply and demand, increasing labor productivity, standardization and evolution of life can be traced. An indicator of competitiveness is proposed, the components of which allow assessing the satisfaction of interests in the development of business, society and the state both in the short term and in the long term. This provides an opportunity to quickly identify and correct inefficient management method («factor-minimum»), which makes it impossible for the hotel and restaurant business to compete in the market during the crisis and informatization of society.

Coherent Structures at the Interface between Water Masses of Confluent Rivers

The paper presents the results of field measurements and numerical modeling of the influence of various factors on the formation of coherent structures in the confluence zone of the Sylva and Chusovaya rivers, which are dammed by the Kamskaya Hydroelectric Power Station (HPS). A characteristic feature of the measured parameters in the zone under study is that they experience both seasonal fluctuations and fluctuations of much higher frequency associated with intraday regulation of the HPS operation. These intraday fluctuations give rise to coherent structures with periodicity T~2–10 min, which manifest themselves in the fluctuations of the specific electrical conductivity of water. The flow velocity also experiences significant fluctuations with a sufficiently wide frequency spectrum, although the characteristic period of its fluctuations is less than the period of electrical conductivity fluctuations and is equal to ~1 min. In order to study the features of the formation of such structures, numerical simulation was carried out within the framework of the three-dimensional approach. Calculations were performed for a 300-meter-long stretch of the Chusovaya River, which is located downstream of the confluence of Chusovaya and Sylva rivers and is the site of the Chusovskoy water intake of Perm city. It was found that the intraday irregularity of HPS operation gives rise to the occurrence of vortex structures in this layer, leading to the temporal variation of concentration at a given point of space and the formation of the wave structure of the concentration field at different moments of time. Time period and spatial scale of such vortex structures depend on the ratio of velocities of water masses and difference in their mineralization and, accordingly, in densities. Moreover, the period of fluctuations is proportional to the ratio of flow velocities. These estimations are of fundamental importance for the implementation of stable selective intake of water with required consumer properties under conditions of intraday irregularity of hydroelectric power station operation.

Определение количества измерений эксперимента при разработке установки для охлаждения молока

This article analyzes the optimization of equipment parameters, which is necessary to increase the efficiency of primary cooling of milk and the use of salt mixture in terms of reducing energy consumption during its cooling. To this end, we conducted a study of existing technologies, as well as installations. During the examination of consumer properties of dairy products, the quality of certain types of products is determined in accordance with current state standards and specifications. The variability of quality is assessed by expert methods in connection with the production technology, the use of raw materials, packaging, storage, transportation and conditions of sale. When milk is frozen, its quality deteriorates. At the same time, the colloidal state of the milk is disturbed. As a result, the milk is stratified. A layer of ice forms on the vessel wall. A fat layer appears on the surface of the milk, and proteins are concentrated in the lower parts. When the milk is stratified, particles are formed, the taste changes, it becomes milky and sweet. Storage of milk and dairy products is an important issue for farms. If milk is stored on farms, it is necessary to take into account the quality of milk. The storage of milk and dairy products on the farm means the primary processing of milk. If milk and dairy products are stored for several days, it is important to process them. On-farm processing of milk consists in its cooling. Milk and dairy products are processed in several ways. The most important of these processing methods is milk cooling.

Разработка структурированных молочных продуктов с учетом данных о рекламациях и методологии квалиметрии рисков

Successful food production business depends on how well entrepreneurs identify, assess, and take into account various risks, including technological, at the stage of product design. The analysis of quality complaints and consumer opinions is vital for product design or improvement. The research objective was to develop structured dairy products based on the quality complaint analysis and risk qualimetry.
 The research featured quality complaints and factors that affect the quality of structured dairy products. It involved the methodology of the technological risk qualimetry and generally accepted control tools and quality assessment methods.
 Popular structured dairy products were identified and tested for the weight coefficients of their consumer properties and technological risks. The analysis covered five years of quality complaints and made it possible to identify and rank the reasons behind nonconforming structured dairy products. Matrix diagrams helped to forecast various factors, e.g. those based on raw materials or formulation, technological, organizational, etc. The diagrams reflected the degree of factor influence onthe identified risks. The research established control coefficients of each risk, as well as the importance of each factor as a risk management tool. The article introduces several risk management tools related to nonconforming products and aimed at improving consumer properties at the design stage. It also features the formulation of a new structured curd product with production technology and technical documentation.
 The proposed approach to the development of structured dairy products is based on risk qualimetry and takes into account quality complaints. It provides a prompt formulation assessment, guarantees high consumer properties, and minimizes the risks of producing nonconforming products.

Simulation model for the selection of technological parameters to obtain a sinter with high consumer properties based on the committee method

To control the quality characteristics of the agglomerate, a simulation model based on the committee method has been proposed. A generalized model of committee structures is presented in the form of a linear programming problem with partially integer variables. The model has been tested on real data. The minimum number of informative features is determined, in the space of which it is possible to construct a decision rule that separates agglomerate areas with high consumer characteristics from areas with satisfactory quality indicators. A high-quality agglomerate had to simultaneously meet the specified limits in terms of yield and strength. As a result of the calculations, a decision rule was built in the form of a seniority committee of five members in the space of 43 features. Geometrically, this is a convex region obtained from a hyperparallelepiped when it is truncated by five hyperplanes. This decision rule can be easily programmed with simple tools and integrated into the sinter quality control system. The practical importance lies in reducing the yield of structural fines during the destruction of the sinter cake, i.e., increasing the yield of a suitable agglomerate while keeping the technological parameters within the convex region.Contributors to the preparation of the article: A. A. Eliseev, Raw Material Research Manager of PJSC Severstal, aaeliseev@severstal.com, Yu. A. Malygin, Director of Ferrox Ltd., y.malygin@ferrox.org,N. P. Chernavin, Assistant of the Dept. of Big Data Analytics and Video Analysis Methods of Ural Federal University, ch_k@mail.ru, F. P. Chernavin, Cand. Econ., Associate Professor of the Dept. of Controlled Systems Modeling of Ural Federal University, chernavin_fedor@mail.ru.

Changes in the quality indicators of shirt fabrics with different fiber compositions

The quality of textile fabrics is evaluated by physical, mechanical, consumer and hygienic properties. The durability of a fabric is also characterized by its resistance to abrasion. In turn, this durability and breathability of the fabric depends on many important factors, such as the strength of the yarn, the type of fiber, the composition of the yarn and its linear density, the density and thickness of the fabric, the thickness of the fabric, and so on. The abrasion resistance and breathability of a fabric largely depend on its structural characteristics, i.e., the degree of bending and the density of the warp and purl threads. This degree of bending is determined by the area of ​​one or another part of the product and the purl thread. This area is the reference surface of the tissue. In this article, a comparison of the quality indicators of shirt fabrics with twill weave from 100% polyester fiber and 100% cotton shirt fabrics with twill weave, as well as changes in their properties of breathability, wrinkle resistance, abrasion resistance, was studied.

DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BREAD USING ADDITIVES FROM VEGETABLE RAW MATERIALS

Already in antiquity, grapes derivatives from it were valued not only for taste, but also for medicinal properties. Modern scientific medicine confirms that berries contain a large amount of antioxidants that protect the body from chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system,nervous system, and also help fight free radicals. Even a high sugar content does not spoil the berry, as it contains some substances that improve the absorption of glucose. bread is the most popular food product, so the introduction of healthy ingredients into its composition can have a significant impact on human health. One of the most important sources of food powders, which include up to 20% fiber and 5-8% pectin, is grapes (explosives). Recently, one of the solutions to this development of the bakery industry is to improve its quality and nutritional value, in terms of sustainable nutrition is the development and introduction of bread with high consumption characteristics and low energy value. The problem of healthy eating is relevant for food producers in many countries around the world. In Kazakhstan, bread is considered as one of the staple foods, so the priority development of the baking industry is to improve its quality and nutritional value. Recently, one of the solutions of this problem from the point of view of rational nutrition is development and implementation of bread, characterized by high consumer characteristics and low energy value. In addition to their environmental friendliness implies the presence of dietary and therapeutic and preventive properties. To conduct scientific research, experiments: - To study the effect of vegetable raw material additives on the baking properties of wheat flour and quality indicators of wheat dough - Study the effect of vegetable additives on the quality properties of wheat dough and consumer properties of bread The scientific novelty of this work is to obtain bread, using the addition of vegetable raw materials, which have a positive impact on enhancing the nutritional and energy values of the product. Obtained by experimental research technology of bread production with the use of additives from plant raw materials will be important for the human body. Getting a new type of bread with increased nutritional and biological value due to the addition of herbal raw materials. The use of vegetable raw materials in the production of new types of bread with increased nutritional and biological value expands the range of this type of product, enriches the human body with beneficial micronutrients, increases the nutritional value and extends the shelf life.

RETURNABLE BAKING WASTE — A NEW TYPE OF RAW MATERIALS FOR DISTILLATES PRODUCTION (PART IV. SPIRIT DRINK)

A distillate is a basis for the blend of a spirit drink. Distillate ripening is necessary to stabilize the physicochemical composition and achieve certain flavor characteristics. Softened water is the second ingredient of the spirit drink blend in terms of volume. The mineral composition of water influences the consumer properties of a drink. The aim of this work is to reveal factors that influence quality indicators of a spirit drink from a new type of a raw material. The objects of the research were the samples of the distillate from baking waste, commercial batches of softened water and experimental blends of a spirit drink. The authors determined the volume fraction of ethanol, organoleptic characteristics and mass concentration of the main volatile components by the gas chromatography method in the objects of the research. It was established that upon distillate ripening, the most intensive oxidative processes occured in a period of 10 to 20 days. This led to an increase in the acetaldehyde concentration by 6–27% depending of a raw material type. At the same time, an increase in the mass concentration of ethyl acetate by 15 to 30%, as well as the total concentration of ethyl caproate, ethyl caprate, ethyl caprylate by 27–38% was observed. An effect of the strength of the spirit drink on its organoleptic characteristics was revealed. The mineral composition of the soften water samples prepared by the method of ion exchange and reverse osmosis was studied. Based on the analysis of the taste and aroma profiles of spirit drinks, an effect of the concentration and ratio of mineral salts in water on product quality characteristics was shown. The authors recommend the optimal duration of distillate ripening before blending — not more than 20 days, the blend strength 40–42% vol. The necessity to use soften water prepared by the method of ion exchange or reverse osmosis with the controlled content of ions of calcium (not more than 9 mg/dm3), sodium (not more than 60 mg/dm3), sulfates (not more than 65 mg/dm3) and hydrogen carbonates (not more than 80 mg/dm3) for blending was substantiated.

Study of the fractional composition of powders for 3D printing based on polyamide-12 using statistical methods of dimensional ranking

The quality of 3D printing depends on the properties of consumables, in particular, on the chemical composition of the powders, the size and shape of their particles. To eliminate printing defects, the working mixture of primary and secondary powders based on polyamide-12 should contain no more than 30% of the secondary powder. We present the results of studying the fractional composition of powders by the methods of statistical analysis. Digital images of polymer samples including morphological parameters of particle images were analyzed. To assess the fractional composition of the particles of primary and secondary powders, a statistical method of dimensional ranking and a differential method for determining the boundaries of fractions were used. It is shown that the particle area is the parameter most sensitive to changes in the structure of powders. The results of statistical ranking of effective particle radii are obtained proceeding from the histograms of the particle area distribution. The boundaries of the conditioned fraction are determined by the magnitude of the effective radii. A comparison of the fractional composition of primary and secondary powders, as well as calculation of the percentage of fine, working and large fractions were carried out taking into account the assessment of the fraction boundaries. It is revealed that the content of fractions of powder particles with conditioned dimensions should be about 64% of the total volume of the powder. Reduction of the amount of primary powder can lead to defects in 3D printing. The results obtained can be used to increase the degree of recovery of polyamide-12 based powders during 3D printing.

STATE AND PROSPECTS OF HANDLING GLASS WASTE (REVIEW)

The basic data on the volume of world production of glass and glass products are presented. The ways of handling glass products that have lost their consumer properties are analyzed. The difference between glass waste and other solid waste is shown from the point of view of the possibility of their repeated recycling without loss of operational properties, as well as extremely slow decomposition in natural conditions. The main methods of handling glass waste are considered and a critical analysis of each of them is given. Particular attention is paid to the methods of recycling and disposal of glass waste, which make it possible to effectively use recycled glass raw materials directly for their intended purpose with their inherent operational properties. The use of glass waste in the composition of building materials and products is promising: concrete, asphalt, bricks, tiles, heat and sound insulation materials and products. However, before organizing the production of the corresponding products, thorough research should be carried out, primarily from the point of view of the effect on glass-containing materials and products of an alkaline-silica reaction (ASR), which can lead to cracking and premature destruction of the corresponding product. The main ways of solving the problem of glass waste are proposed. Bibl. 77, Fig. 1, Tab. 1.

MODERNIZATION OF THE MACHINE FOR HYDROTHERMAL TREATMENT OF GRAIN

The purpose of hydrothermal processing of grain is to change its initial technological properties in the direction ofstabilization and maintaining them at the optimal level for the further process of processing it into the final product - flour or cereals.The use of devices of continuous action allows the steaming process to become more efficient, while hydrothermal treatmentoccupies a special place in the technology of processing cereals, obtaining them high consumer properties. The analysis of designs ofdevices of continuous action, shows that the most widespread have devices of horizontal type where the main working body of thesteamer has functions of transportation and hashing. This design allows to achieve uniformity of steaming during processing of theproduct. To achieve a flexible change in the exposure of steaming, it is proposed to introduce a two-stage variator in the drive of theworking body, which will significantly change the steaming time and use the apparatus for steaming more different crops, and toensure a constant set steam pressure the design of which allows to carry out these operations without pressure losses. In the two-stageversion of the variator, the rotation from its drive shaft by means of a V-belt is transmitted to the intermediate shaft, and from it bymeans of an additional V-belt to the main working shaft. The gear ratio is adjusted by turning the glasses and their synchronous shiftin the axial direction.At the same time there is a simultaneous movement of movable conical disks, transfer of a V-belt and anadditional V-belt to other diameters. We use sluice gates with a flat sealing surface and a fluoroplastic gasket to supply grain to theworking chamber under pressure and unload it. This design allows the most effective sealing of the working chamber under pressureand to maintain the working pressure within the specified limits, with continuous loading and unloading of the device. Thecalculations show the feasibility and efficiency of modernization of the steamer by ensuring the tightness of the unloader and theuniformity of the speed of the product processed in the working chamber by using a two-stage gearbox or drive motor with afrequency converter.

CONSUMER PROPERTIES OF HERBAL DRINKS

One of the main trends in the consumer food market is the growth in the consumption of plantbased products. A large share is made up of drinks, often called vegetable «milk». These lactose-free drinks are a substitute for traditional cow's milk and are becoming an increasingly popular consumer product as many consumers are lactose-intolerant, dieting or health-conscious. The article presents the results of a scoring of the quality of nine samples of vegetable drinks from retail outlets in Minsk. As a result of the work carried out by the commission of tasters-evaluators, indicators of consumer properties of new types of herbal drinks were developed. On the basis of marketing research, consumer preferences have been studied and coefficients of significance of indicators for assessing the quality of drinks have been determined. Using the developed scoring scale, the quality of nine samples of herbal drinks was assessed, as a result of which a sample was determined that scored the maximum number of points and can be chosen as the base one when determining the quality level.

Process-to-market matrix mapping: A multi-criteria evaluation framework for industrial processes’ electricity market participation feasibility

Industrial consumers have a high potential to directly participate in short-term electricity markets to provide flexibility to the electricity system, particularly due to their large electricity consumption and accurate control of electricity-consuming processes. However, the different market participation options available in a deregulated electricity market context make participation feasibility unclear, as each (sub)market option has different market regulations. To address this issue, this paper proposes a process-to-market matrix mapping framework to evaluate the most feasible electricity (sub)markets for a given industrial process based on a set of techno-regulatory criteria. There are three stages in this framework: at stage 1, the properties of the industrial consumer and the market options are described in terms of standardised criteria; at stage 2, a matrix is developed to link consumer flexibility criteria (horizontal dimension of the matrix) to the relevant market criteria (vertical dimension); at stage 3, a scoring system is applied to evaluate the participation barrier level for each criterion link in the matrix. This paper uses the Danish electricity (sub)markets to illustrate the evaluation framework, and takes an industrial greenhouse, a cement mill and a cooling house as industrial process case studies to implement the developed method. Results show the main participation barriers, both from a market regulation and an industrial consumer perspective. From these, it appears that the type of industrial process significantly influences the choice of (sub)market to participate in. Barriers can be minimised by choosing market options with regulations better aligned with the consumer’s flexibility criteria. The importance of flexibility at the organisational level for market participation feasibility is also underlined. The developed framework provides a systematic method to evaluate the market participation feasibility, which can be used as a decision support tool for market participation and to overcome identified techno-regulatory barriers.

The influence of dietary supplements on the consumer properties of functional minced fish

The article presents the basic information about the functional properties of enriched minced fish, developed on the basis of a combination of animal products with cereal powders in a specialized product. Such mutual addition of various components to the formulation allows creating a model functional minced fish and minced fish-based products, which best meet the needs of the body in terms of nutritional and biological value. Food products with functional properties are in demand by the consumer, and their study is relevant. The purpose of scientific research has been the development of technology and formulations of minced fish products with dietary supplements. The objects of study for obtaining model minced fish were pollock, onion, eggs, milk or water, and as a dietary supplement such powdered products as flour from buckwheat, corn, rice, wheat, amaranth, almonds, flax, chickpeas, spirulina and dill. Butter was used as a plasticizing additive and flavoring substances. The use of additives of plant origin makes it possible to stabilize the functional and technological properties of raw materials, increase the biological value, and emphasize the organoleptic characteristics of the finished product.

CONTRACTUAL RELATIONS ON RUBBER MARKETS: LESSONS FOR BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC POLICY

The choice of manufacturing organization form and contracting method on the industrial markets requires evaluation of market volatility, including identification of the risks from the side of adjacent markets. The study aims at determining the ways synthetic rubber market participants adjust to imbalances in supply and demand. The analysis of consumer properties of synthetic and natural rubbers in the context of their industrial consumption allows us to argue that these types of rubber turn out to be both complements and substitutes at the same time. What is more, some of them may belong to the same market within the product boundaries (in terms of antitrust legislation). We use foreign trade customs statistics and historical production and consumption data to identify the sources of market imbalances such as: the gap between synthetic rubber production cost and the price of natural rubber; economic bubbles caused by the fluctuations in supply and the price of natural rubber; volatility in the demand for rubber from its main consumers — tire factories. We then turn to the possible risk mitigation mechanisms that may help market participants to cope with the imbalances: formula pricing, vertical integration and horizontal differentiation. The implementation of these mechanisms in practice is illustrated through cases of Russian companies: PJSC Nizhnekamskneftekhim, PJSC TATNEFT and SIBUR. We conclude with the recommendations on tools for synthetic rubber production development.