After the Tokyo Conference, Fujii and Tokugawa spent two days with their families before flying back to China by JAL. However, at this time, the mentality of the two who returned to China again was completely different.

After the two returned to the Jiangbei Oilfield, the Sino-Japanese Research Institute continued to operate in all aspects as usual, but in this six-story building, some invisible things were quietly going on......

Zhao Yuemin was unaware of this change. At present, he is discussing with Chen Dongshan of the Provincial Mining Bureau the raw materials of diamond drill bits.

"Xiao Zhao, I understand all your needs." Forty-year-old Chen Dongshan had black bags under his eyes, and said with a cigarette in one hand, "For your sake, I haven't slept for several nights." Let me tell you this, this year's diamond supply is very tight. Several chemical factories and machinery factories in the province are reaching out to me for diamond ......"

"Chen Ju, as you know, our factory has won orders from Daqing and Shengli Oilfields, and our drill bits need to be encased with diamond particles on the surface of the drill bit carcass. Without diamonds, we can't do porcelain work at all......," Zhao Yuemin said urgently.

"I understand, I understand." Director Chen took a puff of his cigarette, "Your Su Guoliang has also come to me several times for this matter. However, let me tell you, you also know that diamond mines are mainly concentrated in Shannan and Huguang provinces. According to the metallogenic principle of diamond primary ore, diamond is generally found in kimberlite rock, so to find diamond, you must first find kimberlite mass. The only mine with proven reserves in Jiangbei Province is a poor mine with an annual output of 22,000 carats. This is the mine, and there are many machinery factories and chemical factories in the province that ask me for raw materials. ”

"Chen Ju, you just have to think of a way......"

"Let me find a way, it's better to find your in-laws, let the Ministry of Petroleum Industry find a way, they have more resources in their hands......"

"However, Chen Ju, I also asked, but Vice Minister Wu said that diamond is indeed scarce and has a wide range ......of uses, not only oil, but also optics, electronics, and atomic energy, all of which are reaching out for raw materials," Zhao Yuemin said.

"Really? Look at ......," Director Chen lit a cigarette ash, "The whole country is nervous, I think you might as well ...... ...... with synthetic diamond"

"Synthetic diamond? I heard that the process is not very mature now......"

"Xiao Zhao, I suggest that you go to learn more about it and see if it meets your production requirements. As far as I know, the sixth grinding wheel factory in the province is to produce synthetic diamond. It is said that people learn the low-temperature and low-pressure preparation process of the Soviet Union, and they still do it well. Director Chen introduced.

The large demand for diamond in modern industry has contributed to the development of the synthetic diamond industry. In the early 50s, the United States General Electric Company synthesized synthetic diamond for the first time, and then the Soviet Union also began the production process of low-temperature and low-pressure preparation of diamond.

After Zhao Yuemin and Director Chen had a meeting, they went to the research institute to discuss countermeasures with Zhao Chunda.

After listening to the report, Zhao Chunda asked Zhao Yuemin to sit down, and he took out several plastic materials from the drawer.

"As for the shortage of diamond raw materials, I had an estimate when I was preparing for production. Director Chen is right, since we produce diamond drill bits in large quantities, we must not rely too much on natural diamonds. I look at this process, it can be improved. Why? Yuemin, we workers used to inlay by hand, first applying binder to graphite tools, and then using tweezers and vacuum pens to inlay diamonds one by one, with this method, only 1/10 to 1/60 carat of diamonds. ”

"And now......" Zhao Chunda took a sip of water and pointed to the plastic material and said, "This year in the research institute, I have developed the automatic diamond inlay technology, even the smallest particles of synthetic diamond crystals, can be set through the cutting edge. As long as the diamond particles are treated semi-conductively, the cutting edge is used to bond the diamond particles to the predetermined mold bonding orientation by means of an electric current and a high-voltage device. ”

"Dad, this is really a big breakthrough...... Zhao Yuemin said excitedly. In this way, the problem of insufficient diamond raw materials can be solved. In addition, the cost of manufacturing can be reduced by using synthetic diamond.

"Yuemin, don't get excited, listen to me......" Zhao Chunda smiled, "This automatic diamond setting technology is just part of my plan." Actually, it's to coincide with another technological change. ”

"Dad......" Zhao Yuemin no longer knows what words to use to describe his mood.

"Yuemin, I won't hide it from you. Regarding the diamond drill bit produced by our factory, the industrial term is called the surface set diamond drill bit, and the main process is to bezel the diamond particles on the surface of the drill bit carcass. However, this kind of drill bit is not my ideal end product. Zhao Chunda took off his glasses, wiped them with a cloth and said:

"The advantages of this kind of drill bit are obvious, the drilling efficiency is high, the depth of cutting into the rock formation is large, and it is more suitable for hard rock formations. At present, the feedback in the major oil fields is quite good. However, in the process of gradual use, we also found many shortcomings. In the past, we used all natural diamonds for setting, but the surface setting drill bits were more picky, and we had to use high-quality diamonds. The use effect of low-quality diamonds is not good, and diamonds with a particle size of less than 100 grains/carat are not suitable for use. ”

"Dad, didn't you develop synthetic diamond inlay technology?"

"Yuemin, this technology, I still need to verify it repeatedly with your Uncle Tokugawa. Regarding whether synthetic diamond can make high-strength large-particle single crystals, it is still necessary to communicate with the manufacturer. In addition, when drilling in particularly hard and high-friction formations, the surface setting bit still has a short life. And this drill bit, for the use of technical requirements for workers, is also very strict, a little careless, it is easy to damage the drill bit. Therefore...... I've spent a long time studying the disadvantages of table-mounted drill bits and made some technical changes, and this is the latest drill I designed, you see......"

Zhao Chunda turned around and walked to the lockbox in the office, knocked a few times, and the heavy safe door automatically opened, and he took out a cowhide envelope from inside.

"Yuemin, look at ......" Zhao Chunda handed the envelope to Zhao Yuemin.

Zhao Yuemin took out a mimeographed drawing from the envelope, and he said while looking at it:

"Diamond composite disc drill bits?"

"Yes." Zhao Chunda smiled, "This is a new generation of diamond drill bits. You can understand it as an upgraded version of the previous one. The main thing is that a new material is used......"

He took out a round piece of metal the size of a wine cup from the safe, black and shiny, very delicate.

"Yuemin, if you feel it, this is a diamond composite sheet. It is made of diamond powder and cemented carbide substrate sintered under ultra-high pressure and high temperature conditions, which not only has the high hardness, high wear resistance and thermal conductivity of diamond, but also has the strength and impact toughness of cemented carbide. ”

Zhao Yuemin took the diamond composite piece and kept playing with it in his hand, feeling that the touch was very special, neither like steel nor diamond.

"This new material was developed by me and you Lu Bo when I was in Beijing, and it is still kept secret from the outside world." Zhao Chunda instructed, "I am going to let the Tokugawa team join in this technology and undertake part of the research and development tasks." ”

"Hmm. Dad, do you want to share the technology with the Japanese side? Zhao Yuemin asked.

"Share a portion first. Tokugawa was not an outsider either, he was my student. Since the Japanese side has provided experimental equipment and technology, it is not a big deal for us to contribute some. Now, we are a community with Japan. Zhao Chunda said bluntly.

"Hmm. I have no opinion. Zhao Yuemin nodded.

Don't use suspicious people, don't suspect people. Since we are all in the same research institute, the technology is developed and shared together.

"I'll go home and rest first." Zhao Chunda touched his head, "All day in the research institute, my head is bald." ”

"Dad, you don't have a few hairs on your head."

"Look at the fight!"

Father and son joked again.

After his father left, Zhao Yuemin returned to the conference room and was about to continue looking at the production plan, when he heard Zhao Chunda's office door creak open......