Tao Shiqi carefully polished the graphite crucible mixed with clay smoothly, and asked Du Zhongxiao curiously: "Officialist, what is the use of making this pot? Graphite is used for making ink, but it is the right way to make a pen. It is so difficult to burn, so what is the use of making a pot?"

Du Zhongxiao said: "It is precisely because it is difficult to cook, so it is used to make a pot. In the past, it was difficult to make good steel because it could not be melted. Only by using this pot, burning the pot into molten iron and stirring evenly, can it produce good steel."

Tao Shiqi was confused when he heard this. He couldn't figure it out, so he simply ignored it and just polished the small pot with peace of mind.

According to Du Zhongxiao's instructions, several craftsmen built a stove on the slope, which could just put the crucible on it. The stove is underground for heat preservation, and most of it exposed to the ground is conducive to operation, and it is also conducive to people observing from the furnace mouth above during the refining process.

Looking at the evening, Du Zhongxiao said, "Let's have a meal first, and then fight at night. This matter is urgent, and you must make the steel you need day and night. If the knife is well made, you can use this method to make steel and make some valuable iron tools in the future."

Chairman Dong and Chai Xin thought that the knife made of steel made in this way was cheap, but it was not cheap. Du Zhongxiao could do this because he was a county magistrate and could recruit manpower at a very low cost. If it was really completely commercialized, the cost was high and the market was short of, how could the price of tool steel made in this way be low? But now he is in a hurry to use money, so he had to use this method to rescue the emergency first.

After dinner, I lit a few large fires and shone the surroundings of the construction site as if it were daytime. The furnace was already set up, and the 17-yuan crucibles were placed on the pottery and brought the craftsmen there to heat the furnace. Because there was no coke, Du Zhongxiao was always worried that the heat value was insufficient and the required temperature could not be reached. He opened several more vents on the furnace and used three bellows to deliver air to it. In the past life, steelmaking was made by the civilized steelmaking method, and in many places, the furnace did not reach the specified temperature, and finally made a pile of scrap iron. The key to the crucible steelmaking must melt the steel into liquid before it can be fully stirred and form uniform steel.

Chai Xin looked at Xiqi while saying to Du Zhongxiao: "Officials, this is the first time I have lived in decades. Is this the first time I have seen smelting iron like this? Is this the method of stir-frying steel? "

Du Zhongxiao thought for a while before saying, "Frying steel is like stir-frying, just like stir-frying, just adding some seasonings. Now, this method of making should be considered a soup compared to stir-frying steel. The heat is enough, so what comes out is certainly not the same thing."

Fried steel uses the high carbon content in pig iron to increase the carbon content of the fried steel. Due to the decarbonization, the carbon content of the steel produced is low, and it still needs to be carburized to reach the required hardness. Du Zhongxiao cannot explain this complex change clearly, so how can he explain it to Chai Xin? The changes in carbon content in iron directly affect the performance of steel. In this era, there is no detection method and control method, so how can we explain it clearly? We can only make a general idea, and we can only accumulate experience and conduct research.

Tao Shiqi was so hot that he was sweating profusely. He couldn't help but come over and said to Du Zhongxiao: "Official, when will this stove be roasted?"

"When you see the small graphite pot red, you can use it. This matter is not urgent, so be patient."

Tao Shiqi agreed and ran over to see the flames.

It is difficult to control the carbon content of the steel inside by using this method. Du Zhongxiao has no choice but to wait until it takes a long time. I don’t know if anyone can practice and find a way to find a way. However, as long as it is high-carbon steel, the hardness after quenching is enough.

When the crucible was burning red, Tao Shiqi ran over excitedly and said, "Official, it's done!"

Du Zhongxiao stood up and went to the furnace to look. The crucible made of graphite and clay was burning red. He instructed the craftsmen beside him to put the prepared pig iron in and cover the furnace cover. Release the pig iron first, so that the air inside the furnace can be used to decarbonize.

He ordered Tao Shiqi to find the hole on the cover every time and wait for the pig iron inside to report that it had melted.

The breeze was whispering at night, and everything was silent. I don’t know how long it took, but Tao Shiqi shouted over there: “Officials, it’s so hard inside!”

Du Zhongxiao saw it and ordered the prepared lime and soda ash to be poured in. At this time, most of the north use coal to make iron. There are too many impurities inside, so these things should be added to remove impurities. After the stirring is evenly done, he ordered to stop. After the residue sinks to the bottom of the crucible, Du Zhongxiao ordered the prepared cooked iron to be put in. The craftsman who was watching was told to start stirring when the cooked iron melted.

Chai Xin was particularly surprised to see Du Zhongxiao doing these things calmly, as if he was used to it, and he would say "huh" from time to time.

Of course, Du Zhongxiao had never done it, but just followed the principles learned in his previous life and did it step by step. As for what the steel that came out in the end looked like, to be honest, he had no idea. It was just that he was the most important person here, so he didn't have to pay attention to other people's ideas and just do it.

The iron cooked there was melting, and the workers kept stirring with iron rods.

At this time, the moon was in the middle of the sky, and the moonlight was like water. The surrounding scenery was a little hazy. Du Zhongxiao looked at the night and felt the scorching fire there. He was a little confused and didn't know what tonight. This kind of lively scene has not been experienced for many years, and he was a little nostalgic and fascinated. Sitting in the yamen every day and handling various official documents, Du Zhongxiao was also depressed. He did not have the habit of traveling around the mountains and rivers of this era, and had not yet learned to write poems and lyrics proficiently, but he relaxed his body and mind on this occasion.

Tao Shiqi shouted over there: "Official man, the molten iron inside has been stirred evenly, and there has not been any change in the past half day!"

Du Zhongxiao went to the edge of the stove and looked through the hole on the cover. In fact, he couldn't see anything. He saw that it was evenly inside, and there was a slight sign of boiling, and said, "Stop, seal the hole, cool it for half an hour, then take out the crucible, pour out the iron and pour it into the mold."

At this time, the furnace is in an oxygen-deficient environment, so you need to wait for the molten iron to stabilize before taking it out.

Tao Shiqi was so anxious that he kept walking around the stove. Chai Xin was curious and stretched his neck to the edge of the stove and said to Tao Shiqi: "Shiqi, do you think this way can really make good steel and make a treasure knife?"

Tao Shiqi said impatiently: "It is certainly OK for an official to say this. How many books did the official come from a Jinshi? He must have learned this method from which secret book, how could he be wrong! Chai Jie-level, you are a person around an official, why would you ask such a question?"

Chai Xin shook his head, turned around and walked aside, looking at the stove, obviously not very convinced. Today, the two treasure knives at the dock were shocked by him, thinking that they were treasures in the world, how could they be made so simply?

After hearing Tao Shiqi's words, Du Zhongxiao wanted to laugh. He was a Jinshi and read a lot of books, but where could he have such knowledge in the books he studied for the Jinshi? The imperial court selected Jinshi to govern the country and was not a craftsman.
Chapter completed!