Among the several important research projects of the Academy of Sciences, the development of Bayer-type rotary magnetic field alternators and the improvement of electrolysis to prepare metal elements are all for the production of industrial steel.

Steel production is the main basis for measuring the level of industrial development of a country, among the two, steel production due to high cost, low output, complex technology and other reasons, is an important embodiment of a country's industrial science and technology level.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, due to the difference in the level of science and technology and the industrial market, the crude steel output of the world's major countries also showed different development trends.

By the end of 1878, the British crude steel production was 998,000 tons, the United States 744,000 tons, Germany 489,000 tons, France 313,000 tons, and Tsarist Russia 95,000 tons.

As two representatives of late-developing countries, Han's crude steel output has just exceeded 7,000 tons, which is 7,060 tons, while Japan's crude steel is still hovering in the output area of about 2,000 tons, and there is no trend of big strides in a short period of time.

The scale of the annual output of 7,060 tons of crude steel is relatively large compared with the major powers in Europe and the United States, but considering that Han is in the initial stage of steel smelting and processing and production, and the Bayer rotary magnetic field alternator in charge of the Academy of Sciences has been successfully developed two and a half months ago, then the electric power problem that limits the crude steel smelting capacity has been successfully solved, and it is not impossible for Han's crude steel output to increase rapidly in the next few years and even reach the development level of European and American countries.

At the Royal Academy of Science, Li Mingyuan, Liu Pu and others stood near a huge blast furnace, carefully observing the results of this inspection.

"Manganese metal element has been used as an additive for smelting steel, when the dose of manganese is added within 10%, the steel product is embrittle, and after increasing the dose of manganese, the dose of manganese is increased to 12 to 13 percent, the steel embrittlement disappears, and then the temperature of the blast furnace is raised to 1,000 degrees, heated to the metal liquefaction, and then the liquid is placed under water for quenching, and the hardened steel can be achieved."

Hafield, the white technician who was the first to discover the hard effect of manganese steel, excitedly introduced to Li Mingyuan.

"Yes, you're doing a great job, and I'll have someone take credit for your work later."

Li Mingyuan said with satisfaction.

"Your Highness, what is the use of this manganese steel? Can it be used in artillery manufacturing? ”

Liu Pu, who was pulled away by Li Mingyuan halfway, asked.

"You should ask Hafield this question, he knows better."

Li Mingyuan smiled and threw the question to Hafield.

"General Liu, you may not understand the nature of manganese steel."

Haarfield responded with a smile, explaining, "The hardening strength of manganese steel is very high, and the processing cost of using manganese steel as raw material to produce artillery artillery is high, and on the other hand, the characteristics of high hardening strength of manganese steel will also wear out the machinery and equipment of military factories, so manganese steel is not suitable as raw material for artillery barrels." ”

"Lord Hafield, if manganese steel cannot be used in the military industry, then what is the point of inventing it?"

The war in Argentina was imminent, and Liu Pu thought that Li Mingyuan must have dragged him to the research institute to inspect the technology related to the equipment of the troops, but he did not expect that the answer he got from Hafield's mouth was completely opposite, so he was puzzled in his heart.

"No, General, I think that the invention of manganese steel is a milestone in the history of the development of special synthetic steel, and its significance is definitely no less than that of chromium steel and tungsten steel used in the military industry."

Hafield is very concerned about his invention results, heard Liu Pu's questioning question, and immediately explained: "The significance of inventing manganese steel is to provide better steel raw materials for industrial production, such as in railway construction, according to experimental data, the track made of manganese steel is 20 to 25 times the service life of wrought iron under the same conditions, and in machine tools, ore mining and other industries that require high-strength industrial production, the use of high hardening characteristics of manganese steel can effectively avoid the economic losses caused by the lack of hardness of ordinary steel equipment, The use of manganese steel in the field of heavy industry is irreplaceable by other special steels such as chromium steel and tungsten steel, and its value will definitely not be discounted because of its lack in the military field. ”

In 1819, with Faraday developing chromium steel for the first time in the laboratory, various other types of special synthetic steel have been continuously developed, among which chromium steel, as the earliest synthetic steel discovered, has been greatly developed in the military industry and civilian industry, while the nickel steel also discovered by Faraday has not been applied on a large scale because of immature technical conditions.

The steel pipes used to make artillery, machine guns and rifles generally need to add chromium, nickel, molybdenum, platinum and other metal elements, but because molybdenum, platinum and other trace elements are used in the synthesis of special steel late, coupled with some other factors, the artillery barrels in the seventies and eighties of the nineteenth century have the shortcomings of rough manufacturing and short life, and cannot be as widely used in the military as the artillery in the middle of the twentieth century.

Of course, when decades have passed and the problem of limiting the large-scale use of manganese steel has been solved, manganese steel can also be used to make steel helmets, tank steel armor, armor-piercing bullets, etc. Now, Li Mingyuan can only temporarily shelve the idea of using manganese steel to upgrade the weapons and equipment of the National Defense Force, and instead use manganese steel where it should be used.

Mineral resource exploitation and railway development are the next stage of development goals.

There were many mines that had been explored in the Congo colony, and because of the fear that the news of the mines would be snooped on by other colonial powers, those mines remained unexplored, and until the end of the war, the international pressure on the Han State was eased, and those machinery and equipment made of manganese steel as raw materials were able to find a place.

When the Congo colony was in the hands of the Belgian king, the mineral resources mined from there fed many mining companies such as Belgium and the United Kingdom, and the volume and scientific and technological development potential of the Han Kingdom were much higher than that of Belgium.

In addition to the role of manganese steel in the development of the colony, the development of railways was an important task in the Han Dynasty.

After Li Mingyuan led the national defense forces to occupy these areas, considering the backwardness of the current technical level of railway construction, he did not want to build the railway backward after a few years or ten years, so he did not implement the plan to build a large railway, and after the invention of manganese steel, the service life of the rail was greatly extended, and the corresponding cost of building the railway was reduced a lot, so the railway construction related to the development of the Han State could be put on the agenda.

Professional things are handed over to professional people to do, in terms of special steel synthesis, since Hafield was able to develop manganese steel four years in advance, Li Mingyuan will naturally respect his research results, therefore, after making an affirmation of Hafield's achievements and rewarding himself, Li Mingyuan asked Mannister and Hafield to cooperate with other technicians to apply manganese steel to industrial production as soon as possible, and then accompanied by a group of technicians, Li Mingyuan inspected the introduction of internal combustion engines, arc lamps, electrical and other projects, Finally, he left the institute when it was getting dark.

After returning from the inspection of the research institute, Li Mingyuan immediately convened the main generals and officials to discuss the plan to start the war in advance, and after the meeting, the Han government immediately made three policies to promulgate,

1: Issuance of additional 37 million Han Yuan treasury bonds, equivalent to 20 million taels of silver.

2. Purchase grain and livestock from the people at a price 10% higher than the market price

3. Promulgate the number of fields corresponding to the rank of knighthood:

Each hereditary baron received 300 acres of tax-free land and 500 acres of official land.

Viscount 500 acres of duty-free land, 1,000 acres of official land,

Earl 800 acres of duty-free land, 1,500 acres of official land,

The marquis has 1,200 acres of 100 acres of tax-free land, 2,000 acres of official land,

The duke has 1,800 acres of duty-free land and 2,500 acres of official land.

Tax-exempt fields continue for three generations, and after three generations, taxes are collected according to a uniform standard.

All three of the Han government's policies were military-related, and when the news reached the rest of the southern South American countries, especially Argentina, they understood that the Han war machine had begun to kick in.

Thanks to Tu Haitao, Black Maple Bison, Haihua Empire Emperor, Jingxue Student, Si Che Student, and Han Dean I for their reward and support!