35: Chapter 35 Zhao Fusu is not interested in money! Far ahead!

The basic open-hearth steelmaking process is a low-cost, mass-production method for qualified steel, offering various advantages.

The structure of an open-hearth furnace can be divided into regenerators, gas producers, slag pockets, basic linings, and gas outlets.

The most important of these structures is the regenerator.

A chamber built of bricks is used to store excess heat.

The gas producer uses inexpensive, low-quality coal to generate gas.

Inside the open-hearth furnace, air and gas from the regenerator, along with gas from the gas producer, mix together to form a flame.

This mixed flame can span two-thirds of the furnace's height, rushing over the surface of the materials inside.

The function of the gas outlet is to control the direction of the flame.

The furnace chamber through which the flame passes is a shallow rectangular trough built of heat-resistant materials.

To prevent all solid particles in the exhaust gas from settling in the brick checkers, the gas first passes through a slag pocket to allow some particles to settle.

On its way from the steelmaking furnace to the flue, the exhaust gas transfers part of its heat to the gaseous fuel and air entering the furnace chamber through the checker passages.

During this process, the flame temperature rises significantly, reaching up to 1,600 degrees!

Zhao Fusu looked over the key points of open-hearth steelmaking.

The flow direction of the air and gas must be swapped at regular intervals.

Each heat of steel takes approximately eight to twelve hours.

The furnace temperature needs to be adjusted according to the materials and specific requirements.

To solve the problem of high phosphorus content in pig iron, a basic lining must be created for the open-hearth furnace.

A simpler method is to use dolomite and embed a simple layer of chromium.

Through chemical reactions, excess phosphorus is removed from the molten steel, a process known as dephosphorization.

Specifically, phosphorus dissolved in the metal reacts with iron oxide in the slag to form phosphorus pentoxide, which then reacts with calcium oxide in the basic slag to form calcium phosphate, eventually solidifying into slag to be removed.

If low-phosphorus hematite is used starting from the blast furnace ironmaking stage, the phosphorus content of the steel can be greatly reduced.

"I've learned it, I've learned it!"

Zhao Fusu felt confident.

Leading Old Liu, Old Yang, and their apprentices, he began the steelmaking process.

After twelve hours of burning in the open-hearth furnace, the first batch of steel was ready.

The molten steel was poured into a long sword mold that Zhao Fusu had fired from bauxite.

The glowing red molten steel caused the air to distort from the heat.

Next, water quenching was used to increase the hardness of the steel blade.

Old Liu used tools to break the mold and extract the long sword.

Old Liu gave it a swing, feeling a heavy, solid weight in his hand.

Old Liu personally took up tools to polish the long sword.

An hour later, an exquisite long sword was held in Old Liu's hand.

The blade displayed a silvery metallic luster.

The edge had been sharpened, glinting with a cold light.

Zhao Fusu's expression was also somewhat excited.

It had taken seven days in total; he had searched through various records, almost wearing out the pages of the 'Great Compendium of Industry.'

Every day, his head felt like it was about to explode.

He was suffering from severe mental exhaustion.

Could this steel sword, forged with all his heart and soul, cut through bronze?

If it couldn't cut through bronze, then all his hard work for so long would have been in vain.

He had even made a bet with Old Yang.

If he lost the bet, he would become a laughingstock.

Zhao Fusu gripped the steel sword.

Old Yang gripped a bronze sword.

The two of them stood like two warriors in a final duel, eyes locked onto each other.

Zhao Fusu nodded, Old Yang nodded back, and both swung their weapons simultaneously.

*Clang!*

The steel sword in Zhao Fusu's hand collided with the bronze sword in Old Yang's hand, and Zhao Fusu's steel sword sliced right through it.

"Young Master Fusu."

Old Yang looked at the steel sword in Zhao Fusu's hand.

Zhao Fusu knew what Old Yang was thinking and handed the steel sword over.

Old Yang examined the steel sword carefully.

He actually couldn't see a single nick on the steel blade.

His eyes shrunk in shock.

What did this mean!

This meant the hardness of the steel sword far exceeded that of the bronze sword, which was why it could cut the bronze sword without sustaining any damage.

"Too strong!"

"It's truly too strong!"

"This strength is simply far ahead!"

Old Yang was incredibly excited.

Old Liu was also beyond thrilled.

He knew that ironware could outperform bronze, but he never imagined it could be so far ahead!

What shocked him even more was that the cost of making steel was far lower than that of bronze.

"Good, good, good! Excellent!"

Old Liu tugged at the beard on his chin; in his extreme excitement, he pulled out several hairs one after another.

Zhao Fusu said, "Old Liu, Old Yang, begin mass-producing steel to forge standard-issue steel swords. I want to equip the army."

Zhao Fusu planned to first equip the hundred thousand troops stationed outside Xianyang with steel swords.

Steel swords could easily slice through bronze swords; if these troops were equipped with them, their combat effectiveness would multiply.

The stronger the army's fighting power, the safer he would be in Xianyang.

"Yes, Young Master Fusu."

Old Liu and Old Yang both nodded in response.

"Young Master Fusu, then I shall dismantle the bronze forging area and specialize in producing iron and steel from now on."

Old Yang suggested.

"No."

Zhao Fusu shook his head.

In ancient times, bronze was called 'Auspicious Metal' and was highly favored by the nobility.

If the bronze swords were melted down into various cauldrons for sacrifices and decorations, the Qin Nobility would surely love them.

Those Remnants of the Six States who were secretly plotting rebellion would love them even more.

Bronze is a war resource; it's something the Remnants of the Six States would buy even if they had to pay a high price.

To make it easier for the Remnants of the Six States to buy bronze—and thus drain them of their money—Zhao Fusu decided to produce a batch of bronze agricultural tools to put on the market.

Those Remnants of the Six States would surely scramble to buy them.

Then he could make a huge profit.

Zhao Fusu knew very well how profitable selling weapons was; one only had to look at 'Eagle Sauce,' who stirred up trouble everywhere to sell weapons.

Zhao Fusu disliked Eagle Sauce's methods and strongly criticized them; he would never emulate them.

He simply wanted to develop industry and needed a large amount of capital, so he had to resort to this tactic; it wasn't because he liked money.

He was not interested in money!

He said, "I will specifically select a piece of land to build the First Steel Plant of Great Qin."

"The bronze forging area should also take the bronze weapons replaced by the army and melt them down for reuse."

"Understood."

Old Yang replied.

Thanks to the large amount of coke oven gas produced by coal coking, the blast furnace could heat up quickly, and the cost of making bronze items was also significantly reduced.

Zhao Fusu's long swords had better slashing capabilities than bronze swords, making them suitable for the broad, sweeping strikes of military combat.

Thus, his long sword became the template, and the Forging Workshop began mass-producing steel swords to replace the army's bronze swords.

At the First Emperor's manor, He Zhi held a steel sword as he hurried inside.

When the First Emperor saw He Zhi approaching with a steel sword, there was no fear on his face.

"Your Majesty."

He Zhi also realized he was carrying a weapon, so he did not approach the First Emperor closely, instead maintaining a distance.

"What is it?"

The First Emperor asked while tending to his vegetables.

"Your Majesty, Young Master Fusu has truly forged a divine weapon."

As he spoke, He Zhi raised the steel sword in his hand high above his head.

"Oh?"

The First Emperor walked over to He Zhi and took the steel sword.

As it entered his hand, it felt very substantial.

He couldn't help but flick the blade with his finger.

*Clang!*

The steel sword emitted a crisp, ringing hum.

The First Emperor was also a connoisseur of weapons; as soon as he heard that clear sound, he knew the texture of this steel sword was extremely hard.

"Your Majesty, the steel sword forged by Young Master Fusu can easily slice through a bronze sword, and there isn't a single nick on the blade!"

"Are you certain?"

The First Emperor asked, sounding somewhat incredulous.

"It is far ahead!"

He Zhi said in a firm tone.