(Two chapters combined into one, brothers, there will be no more in the afternoon)
In fact, before iron ore enters the blast furnace, it requires a firing process. This process is to burn out the impurities in the original ore and extract purer iron ore concentrate.
Why is smelting actually just playing with fire? Because all ores have different melting points when they are calcined in the fire. By controlling the heat well, you can smelt all the impurities with low melting points, leaving the essence with higher melting points.
iron minerals.
This step requires anthracite to provide huge heat in order to burn away the impurities in the original minerals.
But once it enters the blast furnace, the best material is actually not charcoal, but coke. Coke must be made to make steel. Coke can provide higher heat than coal and is more resistant to burning, so it is the first choice for ironmaking.
So what Yang Ming had to do next was to bring Yun Dingxing, Dugu Huaien, He Yan and other craftsmen to prepare for coking.
Coke is made from coal. The whole of Shanxi is short of coal in Hedong. However, compared with other places in Shanxi, if it is a nationwide comparison, Hedong's coal reserves can be called rich, and they are mainly distributed in Yuan within the territory.
County and Jishan County, among which Jishan County and Wenxi County are neighbors and very close to each other.
Yang Ming came down this time, originally to inspect the situation of the refining kiln, but now it has developed into a general mobilization of the entire Hedong.
The prefect Dou Qing complained endlessly, "Wherever you are, there will be trouble. Can't you let me retire comfortably?"
Over in Jishan County, a large amount of coal was requisitioned, and the government recruited people to drive mules and oxen carts to send cartloads of coal to Wenxi County.
The new mine is progressing rapidly due to the participation of a large number of civilians. Many barracks are already being built and several blast furnaces have been erected.
In a corner of the mine, Yang Ming led hundreds of top craftsmen to study how to screen clean coal from coal for coking.
China is the first country in the world to invent coking technology and use coke, but that was in the late Song Dynasty. The Sui Dynasty was very unfamiliar with coking, so the things described by Yang Ming were insignificant in the eyes of craftsmen.
Different from the fantasy.
But because of the blast furnace, no one will take Yang Ming's words seriously now.
Yun Dingxing, the top smelting expert, was like an apprentice at the moment, holding a booklet in his hand and carefully recording every word Yang Ming said.
Yang Ming squatted on the ground, and everyone else followed suit. Yang Ming smiled and said:
"Don't be formal, everyone. The things we are going to talk about are very complicated and will take a lot of time. Please sit down."
Yuan Dingxing said: "I don't dare to sit down. How can there be a reason for the venerable to stand and the humble to sit down?"
Yang Ming suddenly frowned.
"I accept the order," Yun Dingxing's expression remained unchanged and he took the lead to sit down, followed by other craftsmen who also sat on the floor.
Yang Ming continued: "The material of iron depends on the refining process, and refining depends on the fuel. The heat provided by charcoal is not suitable for blast furnace use. We should use coal."
Yun Dingxing was stunned for a moment and then spoke again: "Didn't His Highness say a few days ago that coal is suitable for low furnaces?"
"This coal is not that coal," Yang Ming still liked this kind of question-and-answer environment, and explained with a smile:
"The coal used in the blast furnace is refined coal, so it can be called coking coal. To refining coking coal, the first thing we have to do is to screen the impurities in the smelly coal (bituminous coal) and use the purest coal.
Burn out coking coal."
Tai Fu Cheng He Yan asked: "Then how to screen the smelly coal?"
"Wash with water," Yang Ming picked up the branch in his hand and began to make gestures on the ground.
Washing coal with water means washing it with water. First, you need to build a water washing tank, pour the coal into it, and then use a fine bamboo sieve to wash it with water over and over again in order to remove the yellow sand, soil, and slime mixed in the coal.
, sawdust, broken grass, and gangue are cleaned out to obtain pure and clean coal.
The coal used for coking cannot be larger than three centimeters, because the coal is large and there must be impurities in it.
After all, this thing is dug out from the ground, and it is bonded with various minerals in the ground. Coal washing is to screen out these excess minerals.
"With clean coal, coking is easy," Yang Ming said: "Pile all the clean coal in a clean area, cover it with soil, leave a smoke outlet, and leave an ignition port below. Light the coal pile and let it burn.
In about ten days, when the covering soil is peeled off, the coking coal will be underneath."
Everyone was confused, how could coal be so wasted? If you burned it all, shouldn't the rest be ashes?
Someone raised such a question, Yang Ming explained: "This is why it needs to be covered with soil. Clean coal cannot be fully burned without contact with air. It is impossible to burn to ash. It will only burn into agglomerates. This agglomeration,
It’s coking coal.”
Everyone looked puzzled, and someone said: "I trust the prince anyway, so I might as well give it a try according to the prince's method."
"That's right," Yun Dingxing stood up and said, "Since His Highness said that coking coal is the best material for blast furnace refining, we might as well make coking coal first."
Yang Ming threw away the branch in his hand and clapped his hands: "It's not too late, you all can do it immediately."
Next, after some discussions, hundreds of craftsmen divided the work and cooperated, and went down to prepare.
Yang Ming, on the other hand, was wandering around the mine accompanied by the guards.
His method of making coke is just a crude method, and the coke produced cannot be compared with that of later generations, but at the moment, it is considered a top-notch craft.
Today, there are three to four thousand people working in the mine. The craftsmen are busy working day and night. Because the prince is present, no one dares to be lazy. They are all working hard in the hope of gaining the prince's favor and the carp leaping over the dragon's gate.
Yang Ming randomly asked someone: Are you tired? The other person would definitely say no, even if he was so tired that he could hardly stand up. If Yang Ming was not the prince, he would probably have a different answer.
Hedong County Magistrate Xu Deyan and several county magistrates are currently following Yang Ming. They do not understand smelting and are mainly responsible for resource allocation.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "The coal from Jishan County is sent here. The distance is not close and it is quite labor-intensive." Yang Ming put his hands in front and said in a deep voice: "It's better to
Just next to the Jishan coal kiln, a water washing plant is built. The washed coal is light in weight and relatively easier to transport."
Jishan County Magistrate Xue Kui hurriedly wrote down a note, and then said: "May I ask, Your Highness, do all coal kilns build washing plants?"
Yang Ming nodded: "If the coal kiln is too small, it will not be used. If the coal kiln can produce more than 20 baskets per day, it can be used."
One basket of coal is three hundred kilograms, and twenty baskets is six thousand kilograms, which is equivalent to three tons. How much is three tons? A fully loaded agricultural tricycle is three tons.
A kiln with a daily output of three tons is a high-yield kiln. Unlike later generations, a certain coal mine in Jincheng, Shanxi Province, has a daily output of 26,000 tons. It seems that there is no end to the coal in Shanxi. It has been dug for thousands of years and is still being dug.
Of course, if we dig at a daily output of three tons, we can still dig for hundreds of thousands of years.
Yang Ming doesn't have the ability to transform coal mines. He only knows local methods and some principles, but he can't do high technology.
From ancient times to the present, going to a coal kiln has been the hardest and most painful job, and the risk is extremely high, otherwise it would not have been popularized: going to a coal kiln when you have no way out.
Yang Ming continued to give instructions: "The coal that is currently being transported to Wenxi does not need to stop, but water washing stations must be added to each coal kiln as soon as possible."
"I accept the order," the county magistrate Xue Kui wrote again.
Yang Ming suddenly turned around, frowned and said: "Now that you heard it, do it now. Do you think you have plenty of time alone?"
Huh? Don't you dare? Xue Kui hurriedly said: "I will do it now."
Next, Yang Ming ordered Xu Deyan to increase the food supply for the workers in the refinery. They should provide enough meat and purchase wine, fruits and vegetables from various counties to satisfy the workers' hunger.
The alcohol content of Da Sui's wine is not high. Generally, drinking one kilogram is equivalent to drinking three or five bottles of beer. You won't be able to get drunk. There are very few people like Yang Ming who can't drink one kilogram.
He is the prince, and now that he is in charge here, he naturally has to be different from others and provide better treatment to the people.
Because all the civilian husbands were thinking that if they worked for the prince, they would be able to eat well. Yang Ming could not let them down. This was related to his identity.
Just like when a person goes to a restaurant, he should always reward the waiters, right? Those who are not very wealthy should reward a few less, and those who are rich should reward a few more. The rich will naturally reward more.
If the treatment paid for working for the prince is not as good as others, then the people will equate the prince with these others in their minds, and then the prince will not be as superior as they imagined.
For ordinary people, if they can meet the county magistrate under normal circumstances, they are considered to have gained a lot of experience. If they can meet the prefect, it is something they can show off for a lifetime. As for the higher royal family, in the eyes of ordinary people, they are almost like gods.
Yang Ming not only provided better food for the people, but also rewarded them with money and cloth. This has nothing to do with the amount of effort, everyone has a share.
This reward doesn't cost much at all, but the people will be very happy and satisfied. With a mouthful of food, a few pieces of cloth, and some reward money, they will be willing to work for you.
Sometimes when Yang Ming thinks about it, he feels quite sad. Human life is like a piece of grass. It is really worthless.
A few days later, a simple coal washing pool was built. It took a day to wash the clean coal in the sun, then pile it up, cover it with soil, and ignite it, allowing it to burn naturally.
After ten days, when the temperature of the coal pile drops, coking coal can be obtained.
The commotion caused by Yang Ming in Hedong naturally spread to Luoyang.
Someone mentioned this matter at the court meeting, but Yang Guangli ignored it, so naturally no one dared to mention it again.
After the court meeting, Yang Guang called Pei Ju over and became furious.
"I asked him to supervise the country, but it would be better for him to go to Hedong to make iron. Is this what he should do?"
Pei Ju hurriedly said: "The prince is always cautious in doing things. This time he came to Wenxi and set up a large training ground. I am afraid there is a reason. I think it must be because of your majesty's strict order for Taifu Temple to supply military supplies."
Yang Guang snorted coldly: "I asked Taifu Temple to do it, but I didn't ask him to do it. As a prince, how can I be distracted by the heavy state affairs? Is iron-making the only important thing in my Sui Dynasty?"
Pei Ju lowered his eyes, then raised his head again and said:
"Given the current capabilities of Taifu Temple, the weapons and equipment for a million-strong army cannot be delivered within one and a half years. The prince also went to Hedong to supervise the construction in order to share your majesty's worries. At today's meeting, the people at Yushitai also
As I said, the blast furnace renovated by the prince is made of excellent materials and is a breakthrough craft and refining technology. I think your majesty might as well be patient and see what the prince will do."
After hearing this, Yang Guang's anger subsided a little, he frowned and shook his head:
"I'm afraid he's going to cause trouble. What does he know about smelting? Who taught him how to modify the blast furnace?"
Pei Ju rubbed his hands and pondered: "As far as I know, the prince rarely touches smelting. Although this trip is quite labor-intensive, the results are remarkable. The craftsmen who pride themselves on their skills are full of praise for this blast furnace. It can be seen that this
This craftsmanship is a bit advanced, is it from the perspective of the Secretariat Department?"
Yang Guang was stunned for a moment and said doubtfully: "There are Tengben books in Taifu Temple about smelting in the Secretary's Ministry. None of the craftsmen in Taifu Temple have ever seen this kind of skill. How could it be from the Secretary's Ministry?"
"Indeed," Pei Ju nodded and said, "It is said that the prince has frequent exchanges with the craftsmen. Perhaps he is trying to figure out something from these people's mouths, but the prince's arrangements are clear and well-organized, and he seems to have already made plans."
Yang Guangdao: "He has such a bright mind that he can see the whole leopard at a glance?"
"It should be more than just intelligence," Pei Ju said: "Before I got married, my daughter Pei once told me that the prince regards "Kao Gong Ji" and "Qi Min Yao Shu" as the most precious treasures. This shows that the prince has this
I have been interested in this for a long time. Last year, my daughter-in-law once said that the prince always mentioned that he had read a book called "Tiangong Kaiwu", saying that it contained detailed records of manual production.
, I think the prince learned the knowledge of official smelting from this book."
Yang Guang immediately held his forehead and smiled bitterly: "As an imperial heir, it is really rare for him to prefer handicrafts. So, do you mean that I am delaying him by letting him become the prince?"
"Isn't that right?" Yang Guang suddenly raised his head: "What kind of creation was created by heaven? Where did he see it?"
Pei Ju immediately hesitated and did not dare to answer directly.
Yang Guang said anxiously: "That's what you said."
Pei Ju said: "It seems to be Yong'an Palace."
This... Yang Guang suddenly frowned. He guessed why Pei Ju didn't dare to say anything. It was because after the death of his mother, Dugu Jialuo, all the classics in Yong'an Palace had been sealed in his inner treasury.
Yang Guang knew exactly what books he had in his inner library. After all, he was a person who really liked learning.
Since it is not in one's inner treasury, it can only be in one place. In the tombs of the father and mother, most of them were used as funerary objects, and those eunuchs and slaves would not dare to steal them.
The ancients valued filial piety, let alone a book that may not exist based on mere speculation. Even if there were more important things buried in it, Yang Guang would not be able to open his parents' tombs and take them out.
If it were Yang Yong's tomb, he would pick it up secretly.
"This matter is going to kill you," Yang Guang looked directly at Pei Ju and said with piercing eyes.
Pei Ju hurriedly said: "I will not speak until I die."
Yang Guang nodded. It doesn't matter if he can't find the book. Doesn't he have his own son? Since his son likes this kind of knowledge, he naturally studied it carefully. Isn't this a living book created by heaven?
It seems that the queen mother is hiding something secret from herself? She didn't even pass on such an important thing to me.
"Let him try it. I want to see what he can come up with in Hedong," Yang Guang smiled helplessly and said, "Shiju can practice calligraphy with me."
"Your Majesty, please," Pei Ju raised his sleeves and rubbed ink.
.......
Dugu Zuan had previously thought about tying up his daughter and sending her to the capital, but it was a bit difficult because Yang Ming was currently living in the palace. It was not that simple to send someone to the palace.
But things are different now, Yang Ming is in Hedong.
So Dugu Zun called his second son Dugu Xin and told him:
"If she is locked up like this, Feng'er will have to confiscate our house. If so, you can bring someone to tie her up and send her to Hedong to hand her over to His Highness the Crown Prince."
Dugu Feng'er has been in solitary confinement for more than half a year. She originally thought her father was joking with her, but who knew he was serious, so she smashed the furniture in her house to pieces, including the doors and windows.
Broken.
As a result, the outside of her house was sealed with wooden boards, which was very strong.
She couldn't stand restraint, and her madness had not fully recovered. Now that she was locked up in a confined space, she seemed to be going crazy again, smashing things everywhere.
So much so that in the Zhao Guogong Mansion, the sound of clanking and banging things could be heard every day.
Dugu Zun was also afraid of suppressing his daughter's illness, but he also wanted to teach her a lesson and increase her memory so that she could honestly agree to return to Yang Ming, but it had no effect at all.
In this case, the only option is to tie you up and send you away. I can't cure you, but the prince can cure you, right?
So Dugu Xin led his men to tie up his sister, took a dozen maids responsible for daily care, and headed east of the river.
"Feng'er, please listen to my brother. Our grandpa is also doing it for your own good. The girl's family always doesn't marry. What's the matter?"
In the carriage, Dugu Xin earnestly persuaded the girl who had her hands and feet tied.
Dugu Feng'er snorted coldly: "Are you going to kidnap me to the capital?"
"No, it's Hedong," Dugu Xin said.
Dugu Feng'er was stunned and said: "Why are you going to Hedong?"
Dugu Xin said: "Because the prince is in Hedong."
Dugu Feng'er's mouth moved and she fell silent. She had no ability to resist now and was at the mercy of others. But when she thought of meeting Yang Ming in Hedong, she suddenly became nervous.
She hasn't seen Yang Ming in three and a half years. He is the person she misses day and night.
"By the way, I forgot to tell you," Dugu Xin said: "The Crown Princess, the Crown Prince's concubine, and the Crown Prince Liangdi, Mrs. Chen, are all pregnant now. Aren't you and Ms. Chen very familiar? Don't you envy them?"
"She should have had it a long time ago, but it's too late now," Dugu Feng'er said calmly.
Dugu Xin smiled and said: "What about you? Sooner or later, others will get it, but you don't even have a status."
After saying that, Dugu Xin's face suddenly darkened and he sighed: "You were supposed to be the first. The prince treats you with deep kindness and will never leave you. How can you bear to bear the burden?"
Dugu Feng'er's expression froze and she burst into tears instantly.
........
Coke is made.
It took twelve days to dig up the mound, which was filled with burnt coal agglomerates. They were pounded into large pieces with hammers and laid under the blast furnace.
Prior to this, Yang Ming also improved the firing of the low furnace and added limestone as a solvent in order to more effectively remove impurities in the iron ore.
In this way, through the addition of anthracite and limestone, the refined iron fired in the low furnace is purer.
The craftsmen looked at the pile of successfully fired refined iron and praised it endlessly. They had never seen such black and shiny refined iron in their half-life of doing this. For a time, everyone's admiration for the prince was like a torrential river.
Continuously.
This is no longer flattering, this is sincere admiration.
Yun Dingxing directed the craftsmen to send the refined iron into the blast furnace, and then waited with great anticipation. He was now in awe of Yang Ming's skills. With such good refined iron, the pig iron produced must be unprecedented.
Visible quality.
This time, the blast furnace refining time was greatly shortened to only two hours. The craftsman responsible for watching the fire was already dancing excitedly, shouting that the fine iron had turned into water.
Yang Ming said happily: "The molten iron comes out of the furnace and the steel is poured directly into it."
As soon as Yun Dingxing was old enough, he jumped three times with joy, screamed strangely, and immediately ordered the craftsmen to take out the pig iron that had been prepared, put it into a fusion pool made of new materials, and then pour the molten iron.
Got in.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! There was a fierce sound of chi chi chi, accompanied by sparks flying everywhere, and thick smoke suddenly rose.
The main purpose of the steel filling method is not to adjust the carbon content in the iron, but to eliminate inclusions and make it more refined.
Pig iron becomes steel due to the infiltration of carbon elements, and wrought iron also becomes steel due to decarburization. When the two are combined, high-quality steel can be produced.
In the iron pool, the flame boils. In this process, the wrought iron and the pig iron begin to fuse, and the oxygen in the wrought iron is used to oxidize the silicon, manganese, carbon and other elements in the pig iron.
When this process ends depends on when the molten iron calms down, and then the surface layer of discharged debris, that is, iron slag, is removed, and what is left is refined steel.
An hour and a half later, there was no more movement in the iron pond.
Today's molten iron can be fed directly into the mold, and it can also be forged with repeated efforts. Of course, because the molten iron is too pure, the forging process is no longer about removing impurities, but shaping it.
The molten iron is scooped out, poured into a mold table with a horizontal knife, and then quenched using a double-liquid quenching method to accelerate its cooling process.
Yang Ming and all the craftsmen were waiting quietly.
When the molten iron in the mold gradually solidifies and reaches a semi-formed state, the craftsmen use iron tongs to clamp it out and forge it on the forging table.
Just seeing that no layer of black impurities appears on the surface of the red blade body after every forging, everyone already knows that the Sui Dynasty's steel filling process has made a major breakthrough.
At this time, the entire refinery was already boiling, boiling more than the molten iron in the iron pool.
Many craftsmen hugged each other and cried, grateful that they could witness the birth of this extraordinary craft.
With a hiss, the blade was plunged into the water to cool down.
Then, the craftsmen installed the handle of the knife, sharpened it, and handed it to Yun Dingxing. Yun Dingxing held the knife in both hands, knelt in front of Yang Ming, and said with tears:
"Please let the prince try the sword."
Then, everyone knelt down and shouted: Please let the prince test the sword.
Yang Ming took a deep breath, took the knife, and said:
"Get the best armor."
Without hesitation, Chen Kui took off his Mingguang Armor and put it into a test sword pole that was as thick as a person.
In full view of everyone, Yang Ming held the knife forward, took a deep breath, and drew out the knife.
Just hearing the sound of Kacha, the Mingguang Armor, the best craftsmanship in the Sui Dynasty, was broken at the chest level, and the tear was straight and crisp.
Looking at the blade again, there was no scratch at all.
Yun Dingxing trembled all over, fell to his knees, and cried bitterly.
The prince's heroic voice, Sui Yonggu's voice, resounded throughout the training field.