Houhu, Second Artillery Bureau.
Three rusty iron plates were inserted diagonally into the soil. With a clang, the hammer fell on one of the iron plates. The iron plates buzzed and trembled, and the rust spots on the surface that were not firm were also shaken off.
Hu Yuancheng inspected the iron plate, shook his head, and said to Tao Zengguang and Fengshan: "This won't work. Once the chromium content is too low, it will be difficult for the iron plate to be corroded by sea water. If you want to create a corrosion-resistant iron plate, you must To increase the chromium content.”
Feng Shan scratched his head. In order to test the anti-corrosion properties of ferrochrome, he made several batches of ferrochrome plates with different contents. He also asked the navy to bring sea water and arranged for someone to pour it on five times an hour. It turned out that he wanted to ensure that the iron plates were not exposed for three months. If there is obvious rust in the steel, at least a large amount of chromium needs to be added to the ferrochrome instead of the trace amount of chromium in the cast iron.
However, the output of chromium ore in Miyun, Beiping, is very limited. Even if manpower mining is increased, only 4,000 kilograms of chromium ore will be transported to Beijing every month, and the chromium extracted from these chromium ores is less than 600 kilograms.
With this output, it would be no problem to build a dagger for Zhu Yunwen, but it would be a fantasy to support the manufacturing of divine machine guns and iron ships.
Tao Zengguang turned around and looked behind him. There were three bright iron plates there. After being soaked in large amounts of sea water for a long time, there was still no obvious rust. With a simple wipe, they were like Like new.
A piece of iron plate weighs one hundred kilograms, and the chromium contained in it reaches fifty-eight kilograms, accounting for more than half. To build an iron ship, the iron plate required for the bottom of the ship alone weighs at least 5,000 kilograms. According to this ratio, nearly 3,000 kilograms of chromium is required, which is half a year's production.
This is almost unrealistic for Daming.
"Should we abandon the research on chromium ships and turn to chromium cannons, steam engine devices, fire guns, etc."
Feng Shan suggested.
Tao Zengguang was silent.
In terms of the current production and supply of chromium ore, it is most appropriate not to provide ferrochrome for iron ships, so that the limited chromium ore can be invested in other manufacturing fields.
As for ordinary iron ships, as long as the bottom is thickened and painted, it will not rust through for three to five years. Although the time is short, it is a bit short, and it is still far away from Zhu Yunwen's fifteen-year life expectancy, but there is no way, we don't have so much chromium ore.
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Hu Yuancheng sighed: "In addition to chromium, there should be other alloys that can increase corrosion resistance. Let's leave the chromium ore to a location where the dosage is less and the effect is better. This is our only suitable arrangement."
Tao Zengguang paced, worried, and finally said firmly: "We cannot give up ferrochrome ships. We need to use all our resources to support the construction of ferrochrome ships!"
"You don't know what you're talking about?"
Hu Yuancheng looked at Tao Zengguang, somewhat doubtful of his current state.
Feng Shan was also puzzled. Now the situation was clear. If the development of ferrochromium ships was to develop ferrochrome ships, then the Second Artillery Bureau would not even think about using chromium ore for eight or ten years.
The Second Artillery Bureau has not thoroughly studied such a strange metal, so it would be a big loss if it was all given to Longjiang Shipyard.
Tao Zengguang said seriously: "Let me ask, how many years can a pure iron ship float on the sea without being rusted?"
"Five years, maybe three years."
Feng Shan was a little unsure.
Tao Zengguang nodded slightly: "Then do you still remember Zheng He?"
Hu Yuancheng and Feng Shan certainly remember Zheng He. Who doesn't know such a person?
Tao Zengguang kicked the iron plate aside: "Zheng He left in September of the fifth year of Jianwen, and it is now April of the eighth year of Jianwen. They still have not returned in the past three years. If the navy uses iron ships to sail away in the future, After wandering for three to five years without being able to return, how can they find a dock in a vast sea and a strange continent, how can they maintain the ship, and how can they ensure safety? Once the iron ship is rusted out, what will happen to the navy officers?"
"We can still use divine machine guns and fire guns now, and we are not in a hurry to use them. But the navy is in a hurry to use them, and it is a matter of life and death and the overall situation. What we do in the Second Artillery Bureau should not be subject to the overall situation. Shouldn't there be a priority? In my opinion, the navy is the most important and urgent, and our Second Artillery Bureau can wait."
Hu Yuancheng and Feng Shan looked at each other, both of them couldn't bear it. But the facts are before us. A navy voyage may last more than three years, or even longer. Wooden ships can withstand such a long period of time, but iron ships may not.
It is impossible that the Ming Dynasty built an iron ship, but could not ensure that the iron ship had the ability to sail long distances. It would be useless to sit in the sea all day long. It needs to be driven out, it needs to run far, and it needs to show the power and incompetence of the Ming Dynasty. To overcome, this also requires that iron ships must have good corrosion resistance.
"???????????????Okay, I agree."
Hu Yuancheng had no choice but to endure the pain.
Fengshan had no choice but to agree.
Just when a few people were discussing the results, the public servant from the Craftsman Academy walked over in a leisurely manner, with a smile on his face that stopped for a moment.
Hu Yuancheng was unhappy. When he saw old man Gongshu Qiao being so arrogant, he couldn't help but said: "Old man Gongshu, if you don't build your steam engine at the Craftsman College, why are you here?"
Gong Shuqiao had a close relationship with Hu Yuancheng and others. They had worked together for a long time. He didn't care much about etiquette. He still said with a smile: "Of course I came here to ask for chromium metal. You also know that this kind of material is needed for the improvement of steam engines." , especially the transmission gears, there are many problems here. Twelve gears of the steam engine ships returning from Ryukyu Island were worn and broken, which almost made these ships unable to return. How much chromium is left here? Allocate to the Imperial College Thousands of kilograms are used.”
Hu Yuancheng jumped up: "Ten thousand catties? Sell you or me? No!"
Gongshu Qiao waved his hand: "You have it."
Hu Yuancheng rolled his eyes. If there were so many Second Artillery Bureaus, they would be so strapped that they wouldn't dare to use them here, and they couldn't use them there.
Seeing Hu Yuancheng's refusal, Gongshu smiled like a fox: "If the Second Artillery Bureau has a lot of chromium ore and can extract more than 100,000 kilograms or more, can it be given to the Imperial College for 10,000 kilograms?"
Hu Yuancheng was startled, Tao Zengguang's eyes were shining, and Feng Shan was even more impatient: "Dean Gongshu, where was the chrome ore found?"
Gongshu Qiao suppressed his smile and lamented: "We have been exploring everywhere for a long time, but we haven't found a second chromium ore."
Hu Yuancheng was a little disappointed and said: "Then you say this, if you can really get me hundreds of thousands of jins of chromium ore, what if I give you 10,000 jins of chromium?"
"A gentleman's word!"
This is what Gongshu Qiao was waiting for.
Hu Yuancheng looked at Gong Shuqiao in confusion. He took out a document from his sleeve, shook it, and handed it over. He was still saying: "Keep your word, the Craftsman Academy is waiting for you to refine it. Remember to send it over early then."
Tao Zengguang and Fengshan leaned to Hu Yuancheng's side, looked at the document carefully, and couldn't help but get excited.
Hu Yuancheng was furious and asked repeatedly: "Is this true? Zheng He's navy really arrived in Africa and dug up chromium ore. Are they really back?"
Gongshu Qiao corrected him: "The news should be reliable. After all, it is an emergency document sent from Aizhou Port. However, Zheng He's main fleet has not returned. Only Li Su's fleet, which stayed in Africa, has returned."
"What about Zheng He's fleet?"
Tao Zengguang asked quickly.
Gongshuqiao was silent for a moment and said: "It's not mentioned in the document, and come to think of it, there's still no news. I think they should have shouldered a more important mission."
Tao Zengguang, Hu Yuancheng and others felt heavy in their hearts. Zheng He left the Ming Dynasty with a huge navy fleet. For nearly three years, there was no news. Even the merchants in Guli and Kezhi did not bring any news. Now that only Li Su has brought people back, did Zheng He have an accident or did he really have another mission?
In any case, the Second Artillery Bureau will receive a large amount of chromium ore, which will be enough to support the needs of the Second Artillery Bureau, the Imperial College, and the shipyard.
Gongshu happened to see a few people worried and comforted him: "Don't worry, Li Su will arrive in the capital in less than a month. By then, there will be news about Zheng He's fleet." They should be brought back as well. As for the Second Artillery Bureau, I heard that you are researching new tools, is there any progress?"
Knowing that there was no point in worrying, Tao Zengguang took Gong Shuqiao into a nearby house and took out a palm-long iron rod. The front end of the iron rod was threaded and the back end was shaped into a hexagon.
"This is?"
Gongshuqiao was a little confused.
Tao Zengguang pointed to the steam engine on the side, picked up another iron rod, installed the rear end in an interface, then took out an iron plate, placed it under the front end of the iron rod, and explained: "The Second Artillery Bureau made it The emperor named this type of tool a milling cutter. By applying power to the steam engine, the milling cutter can mill holes in the iron plate much faster than before. In your steam engine, many places also need to be drilled and reinforced. Tools are essential.”
Gongshuqiao looked at the processed iron plate on the side, and then at the broken iron filings on the ground, and couldn't help but exclaimed: "Can it still be used like this?"
Feng Shan said from the side: "This tool is made of titanium, and it is quite easy to open ordinary iron plates."
Gongshuqiao nodded repeatedly, turned around and saw a golden long empty shell, couldn't help but pick it up and look at it, and asked: "What is this?"
Tao Zengguang took the empty shell from Gongshu Qiao's hands like a treasure and said: "This is the secret of the Second Artillery Bureau. It's better that you don't know."
Gongshu Qiao rolled his eyes at Tao Zengguang, "The Craftsman Academy doesn't have any secrets from you, but now you are telling me the secrets."
Seeing Gongshu Qiao's beard blowing, Hu Yuancheng hurriedly advised: "This matter is of great importance and has been classified as a top secret by the emperor. It is currently being developed in secret and has not been successful yet. As long as Dean Gongshu knows that once it is successfully developed, it will kill the enemy." A thousand meters away, no more words."
"Oh, new firearms? I'm not interested, but these milling cutters and this steam engine frame need to be explained carefully. The Craftsman Academy needs them."
Tao Zengguang did not refuse. He took out several drawings and handed them to Gongshu Qiao. He did not forget to tease: "This time the Craftsman Academy took our tools. I hope that next time, we can ask the Craftsman Academy and get your new style." Tools. Dean Gongshu, the Second Artillery Bureau is making progress, the Craftsman College and the Engineering Mechanical Institute must also make progress. We can’t just focus on the steam engine itself, but also need other supporting facilities..."
