Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 372 Ming Dynasty Is the Most Advanced Manufacturing Empire in the World (No.13)
Zhu Youjian continued to listen to the narrations of Song Yingxing, Bi Maokang, Tang Ruowang and others, and went back to the Iron and Steel Smelting Bureau to observe and then returned to the Firearms Bureau.

After understanding the comings and goings for most of the day.

Only then did Zhu Youjian know the level of Ming's current military industry.

Generally speaking, the level of the military industry is mainly reflected in the gun manufacturing capabilities.

According to the modern military industry, guns are manufactured using boring technology or milling.

In addition, precision parts need lathes for cutting and manufacturing, which are now called grinding machines in Daming.

Because Song Yingxing's "Tiangong Kaiwu" refers to this kind of machine tool as a grinding machine, and the grinding machine in Tiangong Kaiwu can use flying sand and water to cut high-hardness materials when it rotates rapidly.

In other words, the main problem in gun manufacturing is how to process high-hardness metal substances more efficiently, in addition to the utilization efficiency of mechanical power.

Zhu Youjian only noticed the power improvement before, but did not notice the material processing.

And here, the processing level of gun materials is reflected in the material issues of boring cutters, milling cutters and even turning tools.

Generally speaking, these knives for cutting, planing and drilling metal molds and even products are made of special steel.

The so-called special steel refers more to high-carbon steel. Of course, there will be more responsible high-carbon alloy steel in later generations, but that has been designed into the atomic and molecular structure of the microscopic aspect.

The refining of special steel, that is, high-carbon steel, is naturally not smelted by ordinary steelmaking methods.

Now the Daming Iron and Steel Smelting Bureau popularizes the crucible steelmaking method.

This was originally a technology in the middle of the eighteenth century, and it was naturally the most advanced steelmaking technology in the world in this era.

This kind of steelmaking technology has been practiced in Daming for three years, and the technology is naturally much more proficient than before.

Moreover, this steelmaking method is the first liquid steelmaking method in the world, and because of this, it is possible to manufacture high-carbon steel, that is, tool steel.

It was also because of this that Daming was able to build basic grinding machines and boring machines, capable of processing ordinary steel.

However, because Song Yingxing gained a lot of theoretical knowledge from Zhu Youjian and his genius-like creativity, he actually used various natural mixtures containing certain metals (pure compounds or simple substances cannot be extracted at Song Yingxing's level) to test Produce some alloy steels that are much harder than ordinary steel but less dense.

It even produced a kind of gun barrel and gun barrel manufacturing material that is now the standard of Ming Dynasty.

But it is precisely because of this that even if Daming has the basic boring ability, he cannot bore the barrels and barrels of the main equipment of Ming Dynasty, because there is still no way to manufacture better tool steel.

The production capacity of crucible iron smelting is too low, the sulfur content of Daming iron ore is high, and the combustion value provided by coal fuel is too low, so that high carbon steel, that is, tool steel, still does not have the hardness to process alloy steel.

However, Zhu Youjian is still very pleased:
"That is to say, it is still only possible to manufacture alloy steel gun barrels by hammering and adding iron and then assemble them, but in fact, my Ming Dynasty already has the ability to use a boring machine to bore gun barrels in large quantities, and even The ability to engrave threads can greatly enhance the shooting accuracy and range of guns;
But because we use alloy steel gun barrels, our knives cannot cut such materials, but if we replace them with bronze guns and ordinary iron pipes, we can achieve such a large-scale boring production, right, my Ming Dynasty has of this production technology. "

"What your Majesty said is that the Ming Empire is already the most powerful country in the world. As long as Your Majesty is willing to use non-alloy steel as gun materials, I can guarantee that the rifled guns that His Majesty wants will be manufactured soon. , but such guns are easily deformed and the rifling threads will be deformed at high temperatures due to insufficient hardness of the material."

At this time Tang Ruowang came over and interjected, there are many Western fans like him serving Daming in the Ordnance Institute, and Tang Ruowang is currently the one with the highest status.

"Alloy steel is still used for gun barrels, and the production efficiency is low. It doesn't matter. Since it is because of the problem of knives, the crux of the problem is actually the steel smelting."

Zhu Youjian pointed to the crucibles that covered the entire workshop of the General Administration of Iron and Steel Smelting. He endured the hot feeling and let the sweat accumulate on his forehead. He only said to Song Yingxing and others:
"Now that we can bore ordinary steel objects, such as steam cylinders made of ordinary steel, we can also improve the way of iron and steel smelting, and can manufacture a rotating iron furnace;
Paste refractory materials on the inside of the iron furnace, then pour the molten iron into the converter and blow in air to make the molten iron rotate in this furnace, and produce better high-carbon steel through the changes brought about by its own movement, and even It is alloy steel or other metals;
The key is that he no longer needs auxiliary heating, the output is higher than that of crucible iron smelting, and the cost is also lower. He no longer needs a lot of coal, crucible and graphite. However, our iron ore is high in sulfur and phosphorus, so we can find a way to add some lime and the like , take away these impurities. "

Song Yingxing nodded, and took out a blueprint:

"This is what your majesty is talking about. I remember what your majesty said before, and I designed it according to your majesty's wishes. It is still under construction in the engineering institute. I will try to promote it before the end of December. This really needs to be produced in high volumes." , strive to use this to refine better tool steel before next autumn, the specific heat has to be carefully grasped, and the rules can be summed up."

"This is called converter steelmaking, but don't worry. The processes and techniques involved in it are naturally not as simple as I said. Naturally, you need to find out by yourself. As long as you find out, I will give you important awards, and you can even be knighted;

Once the converter steelmaking is successful, it means that the steel production capacity can be increased many times, the knives can be better, and the Ming Dynasty can enter the era of rifled guns by then.

However, Zhu Youjian is not sure how long this time is, is it half a year?Whether it is a year or a decade or even a century, it all depends on the luck and personal understanding of Song Yingxing and other Ming science masters.

After all, a complete alkaline converter steelmaking process cannot be drawn casually by him.

This requires Song Yingxing and other people with decades of experience in steel smelting to slowly explore. He can only provide directions, let Song Yingxing and others know how to improve steel smelting technology in this area, so that better special steel can appear.

The converter currently designed by Song Yingxing is a huge ellipsoid, with air ducts inserted in the neck and tail. Two people are responsible for introducing air into the furnace by means of blower equipment, and the molten iron enters from the middle and upper part of the furnace. The support body of the whole furnace is horizontally placed in the holes of the two walls, connected with a push rod, and the push rod is pushed by people to make the furnace rotate.

Zhu Youjian still had to admit that Song Yingxing was very creative, and he didn't know if there were other people's credit. In short, if this experimental product is really successful, it will bring epoch-making changes to Daming.

(End of this chapter)