Chapter 183: Making cement with great fanfare

He left at will, surrounded by Ye Tianheng and others, Chen Wanrong rushed to the water shore in a hurry. The Tang Dynasty lacked power, so Ye Tianheng and others designed the machine tool to use hydraulic power, and specially built a large workshop on the Wei River shore, dug a ditch, lured the Wei River, and installed a hydraulic device, so the machine tool had power.

Chen Wanrong rushed to the workshop and saw a huge workshop with dozens of houses. Many soldiers were guarding each other and asked with a smile: "Master Ye, why are you building such a big building?"

Ye Tianheng patted his chest proudly: "My friend, guess what?"

Kou Yibing smiled and said, "General Chen, look, Brother Ye is not keeping it? Just ask me directly." He looked quite content with waiting for Chen Wanrong to ask.

This question is not difficult. Chen Wanrong understood after a brief change of thought: "Okay! You are very ambitious and have made such an idea. If there were one workshop here, wouldn't it take dozens?"

"That's right!" Liu Huaide took over the conversation and said ambitiously: "General Chen, if you think, this machine tool is so useful. If we don't make more, how can we do it?"

The more, the better, the more machine tools, the more chemical equipment Chen Wanrong needs is easier to make. Chen Wanrong was extremely excited and followed Ye Tianheng and others into a workshop, and saw a machine tool quietly placed in the house. Chen Wanrong had seen a semi-finished product before going to war. Now he saw the finished product, and the appearance was quite different. Chen Wanrong couldn't help but strode over, stroking his left hand and looking at the machine tool. He couldn't help but look at it. It was naturally incomparable to modern machine tools, but it was still impressive.

After carefully measuring the array, Chen Wanrong said with great glory: "Is it easy to use?"

Kou Yibing smiled so hard that he couldn't close his mouth: "Is that more important? Of course, it's very useful, at least you don't need to use a strong man to step on it."

If you hear this from modern people, you will definitely be laughing. Who has ever seen a strong man stepping on machine tools? The earliest simple machinery in the Tang Dynasty was trampled on two strong men. Now that you use hydraulic power, it is a major improvement, and a great improvement.

"Try it!" Chen Wanrong began to roll up his sleeves.

"My friend, please watch first." Ye Tianheng put the crutch without saying a word, picked up an iron block and fixed it on the machine tool, pulled the handle, and connected the power unit. A rumble sounded and the machine tool began to move. The iron block was pushed over and contacted the knife, and the iron chips went down one after another.

When using strong men to step on machinery, because the manpower is uneven, it will cause the speed to be fast and slow, which is difficult to grasp. Now using hydraulic power, the speed is very even, and the iron chips fall down in a hurry. In just a short while, there will be more iron chips on the ground.

"Very good! Very good!" Chen Wanrong was extremely excited and blurted out: "I wish I could get faster!"

This is driven by hydraulic power, not motors, because the speed of the machine tool is slower, which will reduce efficiency. Chen Wanrong is a pity, and cannot be understood as accusing the Tang people. The Tang Dynasty did not have motors, so it could only rely on hydraulic power, and the speed could not be faster.

"This is already very fast!" Ye Tianheng said with a smile: "My friend, come and try it."

Chen Wanrong suddenly thought of a question and said, "Not busy. Master Ye, take me to see your power device."

"My friend, what's so good about this?" Ye Tianheng said this, and still leaned on a crutch, and took Chen Wanrong with Liu Huaide and the others.

As soon as he arrived at the place where the hydraulic device was placed, Chen Wanrong took a closer look and smiled: "I understand. Our speed can be increased a lot."

"Really?" Kou Yibing was a little disbelief.

This power device uses gear meshing, which is very advanced in the Tang Dynasty. It is just that they made the two meshing gears as big as the size, which would reduce the speed. It is not difficult to improve. Chen Wanrong pointed to the gear connected to the machine tool and said: "The method is very simple, just make this gear smaller."

It doesn’t require much advanced mechanical knowledge. Just riding a bicycle knows that the front wheels of the chain are big and the rear wheels are small. What is the reason? It is to speed up. If the two wheels of the chain are as big as the chain, can the bicycle run so fast?

This principle is very simple, but it is a bit difficult for the Tang people to understand. Kou Yibing, who had always trusted Chen Wanrong, was a little hesitant and asked, "General Chen, is this useful?"

Chen Wanrong smiled and said, "If it is useful, you can tell if it is useful. You don't need to do it too big, you just need to do it so big." Chen Wanrong gestured to them about the size.

"Okay! Let's try it." Liu Huaide thought it was easy to try it, so he agreed readily.

Just by solving this gear, the efficiency will be greatly improved. Chen Wanrong was very happy and said with a smile: "Originally, this battle has not yet reached the time for the division, so I came back early. The reason why I came back early was because the emperor decided to make cement, and I have to borrow money from you."

"Cement? What is cement?" Ye Tianheng was confused when he heard the word cement for the first time in his life.

This question is exactly what everyone is asking, and they agree in unison.

Chen Wanrong smiled and said, "Go into the house and say." If you want to make cement, you need military supervisors to help you. You have to ask them to know the use of cement.

When they arrived in the house, everyone sat down. Chen Wanrong asked someone to bring a piece of wooden board, then find another piece of charcoal, and began to explain cement to them.

"I know this is the first time you have heard of cement. I'll tell you something about it now." Chen Wanrong said the opening speech and immediately turned to the topic: "First of all, let me tell you about the benefits of cement. Cement is a good building material! It can be used to build houses and build roads. Houses built with cement are clean and dry, suitable for home furnishings. Of course, I rushed back from Tubo this time to make cement. Why did the emperor decide to make cement? That's because cement can be used to build roads. Roads built with cement are not easy to use, but very useful!"

Speaking of this, Chen Wanrong paused for a moment and glanced at everyone. He saw that his eyes were straight and everyone was focused. Ye Tianheng's mouth was so wide that he almost drooled.

"You all know that our Tang Dynasty has good roads and convenient transportation." Chen Wanrong continued to explain: "However, there is one shortcoming on our roads, that is, when it rains, water will accumulate on the road and mud will appear, making travel inconvenient. This situation will not occur when roads are built with cement. No matter how heavy the rain falls, at most, the road will be filled with water and no mud, which will not affect travel. You can walk as much as you like, as long as you are not afraid of rain!"

Mud is a major drawback of the Tang Dynasty's roads. Even the official roads that have put in great strength are no exception. It can only be said that they are better than other roads. In order to solve this problem, the Tang Dynasty worked a lot, but they were not successful. After hearing Chen Wanrong finished speaking, Ye Tianheng and the others were immediately infuriated. They were all excited and suspicious, and they started talking: "General Chen, is cement really that good?"

"General Chen, aren't you joking?"

"General Chen, since cement is so good, how should we make it?"

The discussions were heard one after another, buzzing endlessly. Chen Wanrong did not speak immediately, but looked at them quietly. Until they stopped, Chen Wanrong nodded and said, "Cement is not only easy to use, but also very easy to use. If it is not so good, why should I write a letter to the emperor and ask the emperor to make cement? You all know that I am a person and I will not do things that I am not sure about."

Everyone naturally understood Chen Wanrong's behavior and nodded secretly.

Chen Wanrong finally said, "You all know that my future is not as beautiful as it is, at least it is acceptable. If the cement is not good, would I be sorry for myself? Isn't it good to stay at home, make perfume, sell soap, and make some money?"

Ye Tianheng and the others were very familiar with Chen Wanrong's chemical products and all laughed.

Chen Wanrong said with a solemn face: "I will tell you a secret now, a huge secret. You all remember it, you can't say it. Whoever says it will leave the military weapon surveillance."

"General Chen, don't worry, we will definitely not say it." Everyone promised in unison.

After spending so long with them, Chen Wanrong knew that they had a solid mouth and a good sense of confidentiality. He nodded with satisfaction and said, "The Emperor built cement to build roads. The Tang Dynasty wanted to build roads to Tubo, to the north, and to the Western Regions. You said that with a good road, we will fight against Dashi in the Western Regions, and will we still be unable to defeat the supply because we cannot afford to supply?"

Among these three roads, the road to the Western Regions has the greatest impact, and it is what Chen Wanrong wants to do the most: he must quickly export Chinese civilization before the Middle East has become a part of the "Greater Chinese Circle".

Just thinking about this makes people excited, let alone doing it. Chen Wanrong was very excited, and his tone was raised high and he was a little sharp.

When Dashi mentioned, Ye Tianheng and the others were very angry. The Tang Dynasty did not fail to defeat Dashi, but because the roads were blocked, the supply was difficult and the power could not be used, which allowed Dashi to run rampant in the Western Regions. If the road was built to the Western Regions and the Western Regions Protectorate could obtain enough supplies, would it be necessary to think about the consequences?

You should know that the Tang Dynasty had only a very small number of troops in the Western Regions. Although it was a bit tight to compete with Dashi, it was not at a disadvantage. If the supply was convenient and the army was mobilized flexibly, a large number of reinforcements and a large number of materials were transported to the Western Regions, would Dashi still be an opponent?

During the prime of the Tang Dynasty, the troops invested in the Western Regions were less than 30,000. Gao Xianzhi used more than 20,000 Tang troops and more than 100,000 subordinate troops to fight in Talas for five days, and still had the upper hand. If the traitor had not let go of the side and gave Dashi an opportunity to take advantage of it, the battle of Talas would probably have won the Tang Dynasty.

Since Emperor Wu of Han dug up the Konghe Fan, China has been managing the Western Regions. But there is a common problem, both the strong Han and the Tang Dynasty were very difficult, that is, the road to the Western Regions is inconvenient and the use of troops is not enough, which makes the Western Regions always capricious, gains and losses from time to time, and becomes a historical law.

Geng Gong guarded Shule, and passed Su Wu, which moved countless people. It is a very famous example. Geng Gong only guarded Shule with dozens of remaining people, and the Huns could not conquer it repeatedly. The Eastern Han Dynasty was not without a powerful army, nor was there sufficient supplies. It was because the road was inconvenient and could not be transported, which caused dozens of soldiers to fall into a difficult situation.

The Western Regions are the same as Tubo, and they are poor! If they send too many troops, they cannot afford them. The roads are inconvenient and the supply cannot be transported, so they can only choose to send fewer troops. If there are fewer troops, there is not enough, which makes it difficult for the vast Western Regions to unify the orders.

This problem continued from the Western Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty and to modern times. It was not until the New China built the railway to Xinjiang.

Ye Tianheng and others were very familiar with the situation in the Western Regions. If they really wanted to build the road as Chen Wanrong said, the Tang Dynasty's strength in the Western Regions would double and the Chinese civilization would spread further. They were great heroes, all of whom were extremely excited and said in unison: "General Chen, tell me quickly, how should cement be made?"

"This is what I want to tell you next." Chen Wanrong admired everyone's passion very much. With their strong help, the cement was even more confident. After a little bit of sorting out his ideas, "It's actually not difficult to make cement at all. The raw materials are ready-made, namely limestone and clay!"

Limestone, our ancestors used it to burn lime three thousand years ago to improve home conditions, and it was everywhere and not difficult to find.

Clay, the Tang Dynasty had a developed porcelain culture, are you still worried about not having clay?

In addition to this, a small amount of gypsum is needed. There was natural gypsum in the Tang Dynasty, which is not a problem.

"Can these two be so useful?" Ye Tianheng and the others never thought that such a magical cement was made of these two ready-made raw materials. They were all surprised and their chin hit the foot.

The main components of cement are silicates, limestone mainly provide calcium oxide. Clay mainly provides silica, aluminum oxide, and iron oxide. The two raw materials can be obtained by stirring the materials, calcining and grinding.

Gypsum is a retarder, and it only takes a very small amount to buy time for construction.

Chen Wanrong nodded solemnly and said, "That's right! It's mainly these two things. Of course, this requires special treatment. To get cement, some equipment is needed. First, a vertical kiln is needed for calcination."

There are many ways to produce cement, and vertical kilns are eliminated. Nowadays, rotary kilns are generally used. But there is one thing, the Tang Dynasty lacked power, so it was impossible to make the kilns rotate. If Ye Tianheng and others made the steam engine, Chen Wanrong would choose a rotary kiln instead of a backward vertical kiln.

Another reason for choosing a standing kiln is that it is that a standing kiln is easy to produce small-scale production. With the help of Chen Wanrong, there was naturally no problem in making cement in the Tang Dynasty. But there was one thing. The Tang people needed to accumulate experience. Chen Wanrong thought of doing it simple first and then using advanced technology when the conditions were ripe.

While talking, he drew, after finishing drawing, he stood up the wooden board and said to everyone: "This is the standing kiln I want, can it be made?"

Everyone looked at the wooden board for a while, and their eyes were involuntarily focused on Ye Tianheng.

For modern people, a kiln is nothing, but for the Tang people, it is a huge challenge. Everyone can tell at a glance that they have encountered huge problems. If they don’t look for Ye Tianheng, who can they find?

Ye Tianheng didn't say anything, his eyes were staring at the wooden board, his eyebrows were furrowed together, and he was thinking.

If the erect kiln cannot be made, the cement will be empty talk. Chen Wanrong couldn't help but become nervous and stared at Ye Tianheng. No one in the room spoke, only the breathing of everyone. Chen Wanrong felt his heart beating.

After a while, Ye Tianheng still didn't say anything, but closed his eyes and his eyebrows kept tilting. Everyone knew him and knew that he was doing his last thoughts, and there was an answer immediately, all of whom looked at him expectantly.

"No problem! You can definitely do it!" Ye Tianheng's eyes suddenly opened and he gave a conclusion with confidence.

Everyone felt relieved and couldn't help but feel relieved. Chen Wanrong also let out a long sigh and said with a smile: "Master Ye, you really know how to keep it!"

Ye Tianheng shook his head seriously and said, "My friend misunderstood. It's not that I'm keeping it. It's really too big. I have to think it clearly. If it were in the past, this kiln could not be made in any case. Now, it's not difficult to make it. There are two reasons. With the help of machine tools, the required parts can be easily made. Another point is that since we got the guidance of my friend, our steel has become better and it's not difficult to make it."

Chen Wanrong and Zhang Deming met for the first time in Luojiadian. When they heard that he had a master like Ye Tianheng behind him, they became interested in it. They thought that if the Tang Dynasty had further steel, they could produce the needed chemical equipment and get out of the dilemma of wooden kettles experienced by alchemists, so that chemical engineering could truly take root in the Tang Dynasty. So they told Zhang Deming some methods of steelmaking, and Zhang Deming would go to see Ye Tianheng immediately.

Ye Tianheng had already retired and was in Ning County. When he heard Zhang Deming say it, his eyes suddenly lit up. How could he retire? He returned to the military weapon supervision and brought a group of people to make steel. After this period of hard work, the steel refined has made significant progress. Chen Wanrong thought to himself that the idea that day was right, otherwise, how could there be a suitable steel today?

After explanation, everyone felt relieved, relieved and smiled knowingly.

"My friend, what else do you need, let me tell you." Ye Tianheng is the kind of person who is more excited the more difficult it is. The manufacturing of Li Kiln is difficult, but he likes this kind of challenge.

Chen Wanrong was also excited and said with a smile: "Making cement requires grinding machinery and grinding into powder."

Ye Tianheng laughed and said, "My friend, this is not difficult, it's not difficult. My friend, there seems to be a problem with the kiln, so I just said it. My friend, have you ever thought that if the kiln is placed there and calcined, it will cause unevenness. If the kiln can rotate, it would be even better."

It’s good to be able to move, but Chen Wanrong chose to do this considering the lack of motivation in the Tang Dynasty, and nodded and said, “Master Ye is right, it’s good if he can turn. But where are we going to find such a great motivation?”

Ye Tianheng was full of confidence and smiled and said, "My friend, don't worry, as long as you nod, I will make the kiln that you want to turn."

Chen Wanrong's interest increased greatly and he hurriedly asked for advice: "I would like to ask Master Ye to explain in detail."

"I don't need human power or livestock power!" Ye Tianheng kept ticking the crutches in his hand, saying, "It's not difficult to solve this problem. I have two ways. These two methods must be used together."

"Brother Ye, tell me quickly!" Kou Yibing urged him.
Chapter completed!