Ji Zi Volume Chapter 118 The Beginning of the Age of Steel (Second update!)
When the Governor of the Experience Division informed Zhu Zhiren of this situation, Zhu Zhiren could not believe his ears.
“You mean to say that in five days more than 8,000 jins of pig iron were produced, and another 5,000 jins were refined into refined steel?”
Even if Zhu Zhiren is not familiar with current affairs, he still knows the difference between pig iron and refined steel.
Pig iron is easy to smelt, but fine steel is difficult to make. This is a recognized rule in the iron smelting industry. To turn pig iron into fine steel requires a lot of manpower, repeated forging by blacksmiths, and is also subject to the quality of pig iron. In Yongping
There are quite a few iron smelting workshops here, but it is unheard of to smelt pig iron into refined steel.
"Well, this is just a set of processes they said. If they follow their design, three sets of similar process systems will be built in Qian'an. That is to say, if nothing goes wrong, four sets of process furnaces will be built.
It can produce 200,000 kilograms of iron and steel per month. Of course, Mr. Tongzhi also said that this is only an ideal state. In fact, it still needs maintenance and problems will occur. But if the four sets are completed, 150,000 kilograms per month will be produced.
There should be no problem with the weight."
"Speaking of which, this is no joke. The monthly output of 150,000 jins means that the annual output is close to 2 million jins of iron. Our Zunhua Iron Works, the largest in the North, was at its peak in the early years of Yuanxi.
The annual output is only one million catties, but now this family can produce 1.8 million catties per year?" Zhu Zhiren couldn't believe it.
"Not only that, Lulong has also entered the final stage. Only three units have been built here. If the situation is basically similar according to what Mr. Tongzhi said, then the monthly production here can also be about 120,000 kilograms.
, this year there should be 1.4 million jins, which means that our iron and steel production in Yongping Prefecture can increase to about 3.2 million jins a year!" Yuan Tan couldn't help but lick it.
Lips, "Sir, if these 3.2 million kilograms are iron, they are nothing to us in Dazhou. It is said that Guangdong alone can produce 40 million kilograms per year in Dazhou, but these are all pig iron.
, of which less than one out of ten is made of fine steel!”
Zhu Zhiren was also thinking that it was inappropriate to use Guangdong as the calculation. Guangdong's annual iron production accounted for less than one-fifth of the entire New Year's Eve, and the entire annual iron production was only more than 200 million kilograms, of which the steel output was probably only
It's only about 10 million kilograms, of which it is mainly used to make armor, muskets, and swords and guns.
Zhu Zhiren was too lazy to think about other things, but the mining tax alone for mining, although it was put into the Ministry of Industry's treasury, it could directly enter the eyes of the emperor. This was enough for Zhu Zhiren to spare no effort to support
, this is a rare opportunity to win the favor of the Holy Family.
Be it pig iron or fine steel, once it is shipped out, it means that a large amount of commercial tax will be recorded, which is rare for the entire Yongping Prefecture's commercial tax revenue.
“What was our annual iron production in Yongping last year?” Zhu Zhiren asked.
"We have more than 70 large and small iron smelting shops in Yongping. The total output is about 8 million jins, but the output of refined steel is only 300,000 jins. But sir, the Xinglong Qian'an Iron Works can produce 4,000 jins.
Jin of refined steel can produce 100,000 jins per month. In addition to the similar production capacity of Xinglong Lulong Iron Works, the annual output of these two companies alone can reach more than 2.4 million jins of refined steel, which is equivalent to our original eight
Twice!"
Yuan Tan is Zhu Zhiren's confidant. The Governor of the Experience Department is actually equivalent to the deputy director of the Yongping Mansion Office. He has to take care of everything and do everything. Feng Ziying also knows the relationship between Yuan Tan and Zhu Zhiren, and is a concubine of Yuan Tan.
The wife and Zhu Zhiren's sixth concubine were cousins. With this relationship, Zhu Zhiren naturally treated Yuan Tan differently.
For Dazhou, both iron and steel are lacking, but the shortage of steel is far greater than that of iron. The reason is that the transition from iron to steel is too difficult. If there is no fundamental improvement in the technology, it will
It is difficult to realize. Crucible steelmaking has actually appeared in Dazhou, but its output is too low and the cost is too high. Now the new steelmaking technology explored under Feng Ziying's "guidance" is actually Bessemer's converter steelmaking.
Method, by blowing in air, dolomite is used as refractory material, and then mixed with lime and quartz stone as slag-making materials. These things are very common here in Yongping and are not lacking at all.
It's just that Feng Ziying only knows the general principles and techniques. He can't remember whether it is called the Pudelin method or the Bessemer method. But until now, he has just named it Yongping steelmaking method. He really doesn't know.
It's a shame to name it Feng's Steelmaking Method, because the gradual exploration and construction were all done by other craftsmen.
Zhu Zhiren also understood that this means that as long as you are willing, through this new steel-making method, you can easily resmelt the molten iron that was originally turned into pig iron and convert it into molten steel. After cooling, you can get refined steel. This kind of
Even Zhu Zhiren understands how significant the innovation of technology is.
"Let's talk about it. This matter cannot be spread to outsiders. I'm afraid Ziying has also told you. Once outsiders know about it, I'm afraid it will affect the fate of the country." Zhu Zhiren warned Yuan Tan, "No wonder Ziying requires the use of military craftsmen. Such secrets must be used
My family's life will be my guarantee, but whether those Shanxi merchants are reliable, I have to remind Ziying."
“Don’t worry, sir. I see that Lord Tongzhi has asked everyone to sign a confidentiality agreement. Once the agreement is violated, you will be sued. Lord Tongzhi takes this matter more seriously than anything else.”
Yuan Tan himself signed this agreement, but as compensation, he also received a hundred taels of silver as a gift for his trip this time. In fact, he just stood at a distance and looked at it. The specific process of this process was not clear at all.
Not sure either.
"In addition, Mr. Tongzhi and the Shanxi and Guangdong businessmen are also planning to build a gun workshop in Lulong County. The site should be selected now, and the craftsmen are gradually filling it up. The work can start as soon as the steel materials arrive, and
There are also three Western Yi craftsmen among them..."
Yuan Tan nonchalantly reported to Zhu Zhiren everything he saw and heard on this trip. This was also Feng Ziying's request, so that Zhu Zhiren could rest assured.
“Well, I know this. Where is Ziying now?”
“Master Tongzhi went to Yuguangang, where there are also large-scale construction projects, but my subordinates did not follow.” Yuan Tan really couldn’t afford to come.
On this trip, I ran around for twenty days, from the mine to the workshop, and I also had to guard the first furnace of molten iron. After the first furnace of molten steel came out, I also had to watch these craftsmen's workshops use these iron and steel materials to make hooves.
Iron, plowshares, hatchets, kitchen knives, iron pots, all kinds of things. He has gained a lot of experience, but he is also very tired. Has he ever tasted this?
I don’t know how this little Feng Tongzhi could be in such a good mood. He couldn’t stay in those wilderness areas. Could it be that he couldn’t sleep soundly with his concubine in his arms when he came back?
But at this time, Feng Ziying did feel that this feeling was no less than the feeling of riding a woman.
The oncoming sea breeze made Feng Ziying feel that the salty and wet smell was particularly comfortable.
The progress of Yuguan Port is very fast. It is obvious that the smoothness of the move to An'an has greatly stimulated the construction of Yuguan Port. Once Yuguan Port is completed, ships from Guangzhou can directly reach Yuguan, and a large amount of iron and steel materials
It can be loaded here and shipped directly back to Guangzhou.
The scale of ironwork in Foshan is simply not comparable to that here. The number of blacksmiths there is a hundred times that of here. It is not a problem to consume hundreds of thousands of kilograms of iron and steel in a month. Because of this, Yu
It is extremely important to open the port as soon as possible.
"According to the current progress, the port can basically be opened before the end of July. The terminals and warehouses in this area are almost ready, but the opening of the port alone will not have much effect. The key lies in repairing the road from Yuguan Port to Yidao.
." Wang Shaoquan accompanied Feng Ziying here, and the construction here is mainly organized and arranged by the Shanshan-Shaanxi Chamber of Commerce.
"If necessary, we can recruit another group of people. This will become the most important transit hub for the entire Western Liaoning Corridor and Yongping Prefecture in the future. From here, we can see that Daning and Ningyuan are only a hundred miles north after getting off the ship, and you can go west.
In the future, goods from Qian'an, Funing, Lulong, and Yongping Prefecture will no longer rely on Tongzhou or Zhigu to take the canal. Especially to Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong and Guangxi, taking the canal will require another boat transfer. Now
You can reach any port directly, even Japan and North Korea."
Feng Ziying is still not satisfied. The scale of Yuguan Port seems to be sufficient now, but when the steel bases in Lulong and Qian'an continue to expand in the future, steel materials, iron materials, steel products, cotton, and coke will become the main force of Sinotrans.
, and similarly grain, silk, tea and cloth, as well as various groceries from the south, can also be imported continuously.
From a long-term perspective, as long as Lin Dan Khan’s ambition is thwarted, the Mongolian left-wing tribes will gradually become attached to the Great Zhou Dynasty in the future. Such a huge market can also become a transit hub through Yuguan Port.
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He even has an idea that if it reaches a certain level in the future, it might be possible to lay a wrought iron track from Qian'an or Lulong to Yuguan. Even if the dream of a steam locomotive cannot be realized for the time being, it can still be greatly improved by using horse-drawn freight cars.
A major improvement in transportation efficiency would only cover a hundred miles.
According to the calculation of laying rails, one meter of rail weighs about sixty or seventy kilograms. If it is simpler because of its ruggedness, fifty or sixty kilograms can be enough. Then a railway from Lulong to Yuguangang is about one hundred and fifty miles, that is
It is about 75,000 meters, but the track is double-stranded, so it also needs 150,000 meters, and a total consumption of 4.5 million jins of wrought iron. If other auxiliary materials such as rails are added, it is estimated to be 5 million jins (Ming Dynasty
About six hundred grams per catty) should be a relatively reliable number.
It sounds scary, but in fact it is only about 3,000 tons. For Yongping Mansion, which can really increase its production capacity on a large scale in the future, iron should not be a big problem. Instead, it is a technical issue that needs to be considered, but that is all