Let me briefly explain the principle of small blast furnace steelmaking: the common people use clay and bricks to build small blast furnaces, use iron items at home as raw materials, and use wood and charcoal as fuel to reduce the carbon content in iron.

The specific process involves many chemical and physical reactions and changes, and it will be possible to open another book after writing it in detail, so I will not repeat it here. It's still the same sentence, the technical details, I'm tired of writing, and you're even more tired of reading.

According to historical research, around the sixth century B.C., China understood the pig iron smelting technology, and in the net-autumn period, the two processes of "block iron smelting" and pig iron smelting were produced almost simultaneously.

The Western Han Dynasty gave rise to the "100 steelmaking" technology, that is, by increasing the number of repeated heating and forging, the quality of steel was greatly improved. In the middle of the Western Han Dynasty, there was steel frying, that is, pig iron was fried to a semi-liquid solid state, and stirred, using iron minerals and oxygen in the air for chemical reaction and decarburization, and finally became steel products. It can be said that by the Eastern Han Dynasty, China's iron and steel smelting technology had been relatively mature and complete.

In his previous life, Wang Xu heard his parents recite to him more than once about "making steel by local methods, catching up with Britain and the United States", and he also learned the principles in high school chemistry class, and repeatedly discussed some of the key points with his comrades.

The so-called "local method of steelmaking" naturally follows the method handed down by the ancestors. So let's now discuss the feasibility of Zhao Xing's plan to promote the reform of iron-making and steel-making technology in the Shangdang in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

In fact, Wang Xu didn't want to improve the "local steelmaking" technology to a level that can be compared with modern steel smelting technology. Without the relevant supporting equipment, no temperature control, no electricity, no mechanical automation, it is simply impossible. Wang Xu intends to improve several key aspects of ironmaking and steelmaking.

First, change the thinking of people in this era of light forging and heavy casting. What does that mean? It is to guide everyone to be like a certain island country that is good at making sharp long knives, repeatedly heating and forging steel with high impurities, instead of following the old idea of bronze casting technology and investing too much energy in casting.

Second, the use of heat is higher. Coal with stable heat as fuel! The extensive use of coal to smelt steel in ancient China began in the Song Dynasty, and Wang Xu wanted to borrow this process.

Thirdly, the combustion chamber was improved, and the regenerator and large blower were added. The purpose of the improved combustion chamber is to make more efficient use of fuel. The purpose of adding a regenerative chamber is to compress and heat the air first, and then blow it into the furnace with a blower to further increase the temperature in the furnace and promote the combustion and discharge of impurities.

Fourth, it is necessary to improve the technical means of frying steel and making 100 steel. In Zhao Xing's opinion, the quality of the steel from the blast furnace is too poor, and it must be fried first, and then repeatedly forged, so as to truly achieve "100 refining into steel, 100 forging into steel"!

So what is the ultimate goal of Wang Xu's steelmaking? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE, TO CREATE WEAPONS AND ARMOR WITH HIGHER STRENGTH AND TOUGHNESS, AS WELL AS KEY EQUIPMENT, IN ADDITION, WANG XU INTENDS TO SLOWLY TRANSITION THE LIVES OF ORDINARY PEOPLE FROM BRONZE OBJECTS TO THE AGE OF STEEL.

This is a huge project, which must be carried out slowly, and Wang Xu is not in a hurry. He planned to arm his army first, all with new steel weapons.

A group of old craftsmen in iron making and forging steel surrounded Wang Xu, listening to him constantly explain on the ground, and the shock in their hearts was incomparable. It is said that Wang Xu is a civil and military hyperbolic star, and he is the reincarnation of a god and a fairy, and everyone believes it. Some of the advanced concepts proposed by Wang Xu are not seriously out of touch with the technology of this era, and some are even closely related. Many of these blacksmiths are veterans and naturally understand the key and principles.

In particular, after Wang Xu affirmed that the key to smelting iron into steel is to remove some magazines that are invisible to the eyes from the red-hot molten iron. Everyone suddenly realized that the key to steelmaking is, in the final analysis, one sentence - to coarse jīng!

After listening to Wang Xu's guidance and looking at the schematic diagram of the blast furnace structure that Wang Xu had already drawn on paper, everyone had a direction and goal in their hearts, according to their respective areas of expertise. The group began to study and prepare.

The entire Western Capital attaches great importance to and supports the steel smelting team led by Wang Xu himself, asking people to give people and things to things, and they are looking forward to the early advent of the good steel described by Wang Xu.

Wang Xu's steelmaking concept is ahead of its time, which has attracted serious attention from Jia Hui and the six departments, and they have paid attention to it. And strong support.

However, after laying the initial foundation, Wang Xu no longer bothered about steelmaking, because this was only the first step for him to enhance his strength and make money.

Next, he's going to implement his second step!

This second step plan is a bit troublesome, and even Wang Xu is not sure to complete it, and it must be improved.

..............

"My lord, steelmaking technology will definitely make the science and technology of my Western Capital rise to a higher level, but I can't see it from my humble position, what does this have to do with making money?"

In the courtyard, Wen Qing arched his hand and said.

Wang Xu smiled: "Since we have good steel, if we sell it at a high price, can't it be turned into money?" ”

Hearing this, Wen Qing was taken aback at first, and then said: "Lord, steel is an important material for forging weapons in our Western Capital in the future, how can it be sold, even if our household is poor and dead, we must not fight this idea." ”

"Besides, the Sixth Department and the Military Aircraft Department will not agree, now they treat steel as a treasure, and even our soldiers have not yet begun to arm, if they want to be rich enough to sell, I am afraid that after I enter the steelmaking era in the West, that is, ten years later."

At this point, Wang Xu also expected that Wang Xu's money-making plan, steelmaking is not the key.

"Master Wen, put aside the steelmaking beforehand, and let me ask you a question." Wang Xu said abruptly.

Wen Qing said: "My lord, please do not hesitate to command." ”

Wang Xu smiled: "If there is a kind of paper that is better than rice paper, and the manufacturing cost is very low, will you buy it?" ”

"Of course I did!" Wen Qing was happy, he was a household secretary, as soon as Wang Xu finished speaking, he realized the business opportunity, if there is really this kind of paper, so that the people of the world can use it universally, then the scope of sales will be wide, and then, the money earned will be more.

Just, is there really such a paper?

After thinking about it, Wen Qing felt unrealistic, he shook his head: "Lord, are you joking, is there such a paper?" ”

"Not yet, but soon, it will be!" Wang Xu smiled and said mysteriously.

His second step plan is to make paper, write books, and so on, which can earn the money of the world's scribes and families, and this project will not be smaller than that of King Wen's immortal brewing.

Contribute to the development of the Western Capital, and can make the science and technology of this era at least for decades. (To be continued.) )