Free Web NovelChapter 796: Chapter 427: Melting Point Increased by Nearly 100 Degrees Celsius!_3
The visit to the 307 Steel Factory was very rewarding. Zhao Yi learned about the K03A nickel-iron alloy manufacturing process and gained a lot of knowledge. The Supervision Law was able to detect problems in the manufacturing process, just as He Guilin, the research and development team leader of the steel factory, had mentioned. There were many problems it detected, with most of them being small issues that would take quite some time to explain. Zhao Yi directly pointed out one major issue to He Guilin.
These small issues turned out to be significant findings as well.
After addressing all the issues, the K03A nickel-iron alloy manufacturing process became more refined, and the alloy’s performance was bound to improve. However, since only minor issues were corrected, there would not be a qualitative leap in its performance.
Zhao Yi’s goal was not just to perfect the manufacturing process; otherwise, he wouldn’t have needed to apply for an additional project and just take a tour at the 307 Steel Factory.
Breakthroughs in materials science were not that important to him.
Since he had already applied for and secured the project, along with a 20 million R&D budget, he had to produce an alloy that surpassed the international level.
If others knew that Zhao Yi aimed to transcend the international standard, they would undoubtedly think he was insane. It’s impossible to outdo the international top-level by just wishing for it. Yet Zhao Yi was quite confident, especially after visiting the 307 Steel Factory. He obtained a large amount of ’real-world data’ and understood the entire production process. He knew that as long as the 307 Steel Factory improved the manufacturing process, the performance of K03A would improve. fгeewebnovёl.com
This improvement would be difficult to catch up with the international top-level, but with the previous foundation and subsequent improvements, the gap wouldn’t be too significant.
Afterwards, it’s all about making enhancements.
Developing alloy materials is too complex, whether it’s manufacturing methods or elemental ratios, there are countless combinations, and there’s no such thing as a ’perfect formula’ or a ’perfect method.’
Zhao Yi didn’t need a perfect method either.
Just as he said to Wang Zhifang, he didn’t need to produce extremely high-end alloy materials, but only to surpass the current international level. All he needed was to follow the right path.
And what was the right path?
To add a rare element --
Rhenium!
The K03A turbine blades used in the Kunlun engine did not contain rhenium. Although everyone knew that adding rhenium was a good idea, they had yet to figure out the optimal method and ratio for adding it.
Rhenium is a high-temperature resistant element with a melting point of 3180 degrees Celsius.
The purpose of adding rhenium to the alloy is to increase its melting point, but since pure rhenium is soft, adding too much of it would affect the alloy’s strength. The method and quantity of rhenium to be added were both problematic. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
Hence, the primary research direction was to study the ratio and method of adding rhenium to K03A, based on the improvements made at the 307 Steel Factory.
Zhao Yi believed that after perfecting K03A, its performance would be excellent. Once he figured out the rhenium ratio and method, the final alloy would certainly surpass the international advanced level. The research process would involve verifying various combinations and methods.
Each experiment would yield some findings and help him better understand the effects of the addition.
After a few experiments, he could roughly determine the efficient ratio and method to increase the melting point while maintaining or enhancing the alloy’s strength.
That was the research process.
...
Zhao Yi couldn’t wait to start his research. He wrote an improvement report and submitted it directly to his superiors, who then passed it on to the 307 Steel Factory.
The R&D team at the 307 Steel Factory received the report and was somewhat puzzled. "Did Academician Zhao find so many issues in the manufacturing process just by visiting once? Should we follow his suggestions?"
He Guilin provided an answer, "Academician Zhao mentioned many minor issues when he left, but I didn’t expect him to submit a report. However, let’s first verify the major issue he pointed out; we’ll do it in the next couple of days."
"Right."
"We’ll see the results."
The 307 Steel Factory accepted Zhao Yi’s suggestions submitted by He Guilin. They quickly restructured the ultra-high-temperature furnace and the jumping mixer so that the silicon-iron and nickel-iron alloys could maintain their heated state when mixed and underwent deoxygenation treatment immediately after mixing.
After completing the restructuring, they manufactured a new batch of K03A using the refined process.
The R&D team at the steel factory received Zhao Yi’s report the following afternoon, and the new K03A was produced. He Guilin led the R&D team to inspect the new K03A without any delay and immediately came to an astonishing conclusion --
The newly manufactured K03A had a melting point nearly 100 degrees Celsius higher than the original!
