Chapter 198 Breakthrough in Carbon Nanotubes

On the third day after seeing off Chen Xueming, Lin Mo locked himself in the laboratory.

Calling it a laboratory was a bit of a stretch; it was actually a newly built two-story building on the east side of the base. A month ago, it had been a warehouse filled with various discarded equipment. Lin Mo had people clear it out overnight and convert it into a dedicated Carbon Nanotubes laboratory.

"Senior Brother," Li Xiao stood at the door, holding a lunch box in her hand, "you've skipped your third meal."

Lin Mo didn't even look up: "Leave it there."

Li Xiao walked in, placed the lunch box on a corner of the lab bench, and then stood behind Lin Mo, looking at the screen in front of him.

The screen displayed a complex flowchart—gas pipelines, reaction chambers, temperature curves, and pressure parameters, all densely annotated with various numbers.

"Is this... the preparation process for Carbon Nanotubess?" Li Xiao asked cautiously.

Lin Mo nodded: "Chemical Vapor Deposition. Catalyst, carbon source gas, temperature, and pressure—four key variables."

Li Xiao leaned in for a closer look: "It looks quite complex."

"It's not just 'quite' complex," Lin Mo rubbed his eyes, "it's extremely complex. The catalyst formula involves seventeen elements; a difference of one-thousandth in the ratio results in a completely different product. Temperature control requires a precision of plus or minus one degree, and pressure requires plus or minus ten Pascals. During continuous fiber spinning, the speed must be accurate to the millimeter per second."

Li Xiao took a breath: "So which step are we at now?"

Lin Mo was silent for two seconds before saying:

"The first step."

"The first step?"

"The catalyst formula." Lin Mo pointed to a string of numbers on the screen, "This is the reference formula provided by the system. Three main elements—iron, cobalt, and nickel—plus fourteen trace additions like molybdenum, chromium, and vanadium. But the system provides theoretical values; for actual synthesis, we need to figure out the optimal ratios ourselves."

Li Xiao understood: "So you're... deducing it right now?"

"Yes," Lin Mo said, "the system has a simulation function, but it consumes research points. I've already spent five hundred points over the last two days, simulating more than eighty formulas and finding three promising combinations."

Looking at Lin Mo's bloodshot eyes, Li Xiao felt a pang of sympathy:

"Senior Brother, you can't keep pushing yourself like this. This is just the beginning; there are still two years to go."

Lin Mo finally turned his head and glanced at her:

"I know. But if we don't get this formula right, we won't be able to do anything else later."

Li Xiao was silent for a moment, then pulled over a chair and sat down next to him:

"Then I'll stay with you."

Lin Mo was stunned for a moment: "You don't need to stay. Go back and sleep."

"I'm not sleepy," Li Xiao shook her head, "Besides, Brother Zhao told me to keep an eye on you, fearing you'd burn yourself out."

Lin Mo smiled helplessly: "Zhao Gang is getting more and more overbearing lately."

"He's not being overbearing," Li Xiao said seriously, "he's worried. We're all worried."

Lin Mo looked at this girl—twenty-four years old, she had worked with him for four years, transforming from a clumsy assistant into a data expert who could hold her own. At this moment, she sat beside him, her eyes filled with concern.

He suddenly felt that all these years had been worth it.

"Alright," he said, "then just sit there. But don't talk, let me calculate for a bit longer."

Li Xiao nodded and quieted down.

At two in the morning, Lin Mo finally stopped.

He leaned back against the chair, closed his eyes, and let out a long breath.

"Senior Brother?" Li Xiao called out softly.

"It's nothing." Lin Mo opened his eyes, "The simulation is finished. Three formulas. We'll go into the laboratory to synthesize them tomorrow."

Li Xiao handed over the long-cold lunch box: "Eat something first."

Lin Mo took it and opened the lid; it was a box of braised pork over rice, the fat already solidified into white grease.

He didn't mind and began to eat with his chopsticks.

Watching him devour the food, Li Xiao suddenly laughed:

"Senior Brother, do you know? The way you look right now, you really resemble someone."

"Who?"

"Chen Xueming. Back when he was stationed at the factory for the Divertor, he lost fifteen pounds and ate exactly like this."

Lin Mo's chopsticks paused for a moment, then he continued eating.

"He called me yesterday," Li Xiao said, "asking what you were doing. I said you were tackling Carbon Nanotubess. He said, tell Old Lin to take it easy and not burn himself out like he did back then."

The corners of Lin Mo's mouth curled up slightly: "He's certainly one to talk about others."

"He also said," Li Xiao suppressed a laugh, "that once he's settled in Guangdong, he'll come back to help you. He said Carbon Nanotubess are a big deal and you shouldn't have to carry it alone."

Lin Mo was silent for a moment, then said:

"Tell him to focus on doing a good job with the Guangdong power plant first. I can handle things here."

Li Xiao nodded and began typing on her phone.

After finishing his meal, Lin Mo set the lunch box aside and looked back at the screen.

Three formulas. They would enter the laboratory tomorrow.

But he wasn't entirely confident about the laboratory conditions.

"Li Xiao," he said, "go to the Equipment Section tomorrow and pull the calibration records for the CVD furnace. I need all the data from the last three months."

"Okay."

"Also, the gas pipelines need to be re-checked. The purity requirement for the carbon source gas is 99.999%; even a slight deviation won't work."

"Understood."

Lin Mo thought for a moment and added: "Tell Zhao Gang to increase the personnel. The formula for Carbon Nanotubess is even more valuable than Nuclear Fusion data. We can't let anyone exploit any loopholes."

Li Xiao nodded, noting everything down on her phone one by one.

Outside the window, the sky began to pale.

A new day was about to begin.

At nine in the morning, Lin Mo appeared in the laboratory on time.

Li Xiao was already waiting there, with Zhao Gang standing beside her—he had heard the formal synthesis was starting today and insisted on coming to keep watch personally.

"Dr. Lin," Zhao Gang pointed to the newly installed fingerprint lock at the laboratory door, "I've arranged for four people here, in three shifts, guarding twenty-four hours a day. Entry and exit must be confirmed by two people; no one is allowed to enter alone."

Lin Mo nodded: "Thank you for your hard work."

"It's no trouble," Zhao Gang said seriously, "your things must be well-protected."

Lin Mo walked into the laboratory, put on his dustproof suit, and donned gloves. Li Xiao followed behind, similarly fully equipped.

In the center of the lab bench was a brand-new CVD device—a Chemical Vapor Deposition furnace. It had a stainless steel casing, a quartz glass reaction chamber, and a dense network of pipelines and sensors. This was produced by the best equipment factory in the country working overtime, and it had just been installed three days ago.

Lin Mo turned on the device and began preheating.

At the same time, he opened the nearby computer and brought up the system interface.

[Do you wish to begin the Carbon Nanotubes synthesis experiment?]

[This experiment will consume research points: 50 points (Simulation Acceleration Mode)]

[Current Formula: CF-17 (Iron-Cobalt-Nickel base, containing trace elements like Molybdenum, Chromium, and Vanadium)]

[Estimated Success Rate: 63.7%]

63.7%—not particularly high, but not low either.

Lin Mo clicked "Confirm."

[Experiment Started]

[Accessing real-time data...]

[Temperature: 680°C... 700°C... 720°C...]

[Pressure: 50 Pa... 48 Pa... 45 Pa...]

[Carbon source gas flow: 20 sccm... 25 sccm... 30 sccm...]

Data began scrolling on the screen, dense numbers flowing down like a waterfall. Li Xiao stared tensely, her palms sweating.

Ten minutes later, the system prompted:

[Reaction Complete]

[Analyzing output...]

[Carbon Nanotubes fiber length: Continuous spinning failed, length only 2.3 meters]

[Tensile Strength: 42 GPa (52.5% of the theoretical 80 GPa)]

[Diameter Uniformity: Large deviation, failed]

Lin Mo stared at the line "Continuous spinning failed" and was silent for a few seconds.

The first attempt had failed.

Li Xiao spoke up cautiously: "Senior Brother, 42 GPa is actually already very high. The best laboratories internationally can only achieve around 30."

Lin Mo shook his head: "Not enough. What we want is 80, the ability for continuous spinning, and industrial mass production. At 42 GPa, we haven't even touched the threshold."

He pulled up the system logs and began analyzing the data.

"There were fluctuations in the temperature curve; it dropped five degrees in the later stage of the reaction." He pointed at the screen, "The pressure was also unstable, rising by three Pascals toward the end. And the carbon source gas—there was a delay in flow control—"

Li Xiao leaned over to look: "Then shall we adjust the parameters and try again?"

Lin Mo thought for a moment: "No. Analyze the cause of failure first and solve the problems before trying again. Blindly testing won't yield results even after a hundred tries."

He began recording in his notebook—insufficient temperature control precision, slow pressure adjustment response, possible delay in the gas flow valve...

He wrote them down one by one, filling an entire page.

"These," he closed the notebook, "are equipment issues. Not formula issues."

Li Xiao understood: "We have to improve the equipment first?"

Lin Mo nodded: "Yes. Equipment and process must go hand in hand. If the equipment isn't up to par, even the best process is useless."

He stood up and took off his gloves:

"Let's go to the Equipment Section."

The section chief of the Equipment Section was surnamed Wu. He was in his fifties and had been doing equipment maintenance for thirty years, having repaired all sorts of precision instruments. When Lin Mo found him, he was repairing an old vacuum pump.

"Section Chief Wu," Lin Mo handed over the notebook, "take a look at these."

Section Chief Wu took it, put on his reading glasses, and flipped through the pages one by one.

After finishing the last page, he looked up, his gaze somewhat complex:

"Academician Lin, you're trying to drive us to our deaths."

Lin Mo was momentarily stunned.

Section Chief Wu pointed to the records in the notebook:

"Temperature control precision of plus or minus one degree—our current equipment can only do plus or minus three. To improve it threefold isn't a matter of changing one or two parts; the entire temperature control system has to be replaced. Pressure control of plus or minus ten Pascals—current equipment is plus or minus thirty, also needing a threefold improvement. And the response time of the gas flow valve—it's currently one second, and you're asking for zero point one—"

He shook his head: "These aren't things that minor modifications can solve. They need to be redesigned and remanufactured."

Lin Mo was silent for a while, then asked:

"Can it be done?"

Section Chief Wu looked at him for a long time.

Then he smiled:

"Academician Lin, do you know what I admire most about you?"

Lin Mo shook his head.

"You never ask 'is it hard'," Section Chief Wu said, "you only ask 'can it be done'."

He stood up, walked to the window, and pointed to the distant construction site of tokamak-4:

"That device was just a blueprint three years ago. And now? It's about to be topped out."

He turned back and looked at Lin Mo:

"Academician Lin, I'll make what you need. But give me some time."

Lin Mo nodded: "How long?"

Section Chief Wu thought for a moment: "Three months. Within three months, I'll give you a brand-new temperature control system, pressure control system, and flow control system. The precision will meet your requirements."

Lin Mo reached out his hand:

"Thank you, Section Chief Wu."

Section Chief Wu shook his hand firmly:

"No need for thanks. To be able to do something big with you in this lifetime... it's worth it."

When they came out of the Equipment Section, it was already evening.

Lin Mo stood at the door, watching the setting sun, and let out a long breath.

Li Xiao followed beside him and whispered, "Senior Brother, we can afford to wait three months, right?"

Lin Mo nodded: "We can wait."

"Then what do we do during these three months?"

Lin Mo thought for a moment: "Continue simulations. Adjust the formulas, optimize the process, and once the equipment is in place, we'll break through in one go."

Li Xiao nodded, then suddenly asked:

"Senior Brother, do you think Carbon Nanotubess can really be made?"

Lin Mo looked at her and asked back:

"What do you think?"

Li Xiao thought for a moment and smiled:

"I think they can. Because you are here."

Lin Mo was stunned for a moment, then he also smiled.

"Let's go," he said, "back to the calculations."

The two walked back to the laboratory side by side.

Behind them, the setting sun dyed the entire Gobi Desert golden-red.

Ahead, new challenges were waiting for them.