Traveling through history leaving a name

Chapter 61 Difference Between Steel and Iron
Soon, the group arrived in front of No. [-] steelmaking open hearth furnace.

It will take another hour (about two hours) to tap the steel from the open-hearth furnace, but Cao Cao and his party did not feel bored waiting at all.

"Prime Minister, we have to wait another hour or so, why don't we go to other places?" Liu Ping said to Cao Cao.

"No, why don't you tell me what this open-hearth steelmaking is all about!" Cao Cao said to Liu Ping.

"This, I, I don't understand too much, let Governor Yang explain." Liu Ping said to Cao Cao.

"Haven't you been here for several years? Why don't you understand?" Cao Cao asked Liu Ping.

This Liu Ping is an old brother who followed him in the early years. He attached great importance to the steel-making workshop and sent Liu Ping here mainly to control the steel-making workshop.

But now, the person he installed has been here for a few years and he doesn't understand, which makes him feel like he doesn't know people.

"Prime Minister, don't blame me for this." Hearing Cao Cao's harsh tone, Liu Ping almost cried.

He argued: "Not everyone can do steelmaking. Only those who have studied Mr. Ruixiang's physics will know how to make steel, why we do it, etc. I have never studied physics. Yang Taishou once Teach me hand in hand, I only know it but don’t know why.”

What Liu Ping meant was that it wasn't my fault that I didn't know how to make steel, but because I wasn't Mr. Ruixiang's student.

"Is it really that difficult?" Hearing Liu Ping's words, Cao Cao finally slowed down his tone.

"It's hard. After Governor Yang left, the entire steel plant was supported by a group of Mr. Ruixiang's students. Without them, I wouldn't be able to run this steel plant," Liu Ping said.

The main reason why he has been in Guangping for so many years and has never had any conflicts with Yang Shen and is willing to be a foil is that he realizes that steelmaking is not something he can play around with.

That is to say, if the blast furnace or the open hearth furnace is broken, you cannot repair it without knowing the principle.

Hearing Liu Ping's explanation, Cao Cao finally realized that Liu Ping could not be blamed for this matter, so he said to Yang Shen who was beside him, "Prefect Yang, please tell us about the open-hearth steelmaking!"

Hearing Cao Cao's words, Yang Shen did not refuse. He thought for a while and said, "Actually, as long as you have studied physics, it is very simple to know the principle of steelmaking."

Yang Shen said: "The difference between steel and iron mainly lies in the level of carbon content. Wrought iron has a carbon content of less than five thousandths. Steel has a carbon content between five thousandths and two per cent. .And those with a carbon content of more than [-] percent are pig iron."

"Wait, what do you mean by carbon content?" Cao Cao asked, "What do you mean by five thousandths?"

"Carbon content is how much carbon is in iron, and carbon is the kind of carbon burned in wood, which is an element."

Yang Shen explained: "As for five thousandths, it is to divide one thing into one thousand parts, and then take five parts."

"You mean, steel and iron are mainly determined by the amount of carbon in them?" Cao Cao asked.

"That's right." Yang Shen nodded.

"Then tell me more about how this steel factory turns iron ore into steel," Cao Cao said.

"Steelmaking here is mainly divided into two steps. The first step is to use a blast furnace to smelt iron ore into molten iron."

Yang Shen said: "The molten iron at this time is mainly pig iron with a high carbon content. The second step is to inject the molten pig iron into the steelmaking open hearth furnace, and use the high temperature and violent oxidation reaction of the open hearth furnace to reduce the carbon content in the pig iron. When the carbon content is less than two percent, steel is made.”

In the end, Yang Shen concluded, "Anyway, steelmaking is a process of reducing the carbon in pig iron."

"I see." Hearing Yang Shen's words, Cao Cao nodded, but he also knew that steelmaking was not as easy as Yang Shen said, otherwise Liu Ping would not have been able to learn it in a few years.

Time passed, and soon an hour would arrive.

It's time for the open hearth to tap.

After Liu Ping gave the order, the workers opened the taphole of the open-hearth furnace. Immediately, dazzling molten steel flowed out of the open-hearth furnace, and sparks flew everywhere.

Then, the molten steel flows along a groove to the mold workshop, where the molten steel will be cast into the desired shape one by one.

"I feel like there is no difference between this small furnace and the big furnace." Someone said immediately after seeing the tapping process.

In their view, open-hearth tapping and blast furnace tapping are all about pouring molten iron into the desired shape.

"It's different. The previous blast furnace produced pig iron, but this open hearth furnace produced steel." A steelworks worker explained.

"They all look the same," said another.

"It looks the same, but it's actually different. Steel is better than iron, and not as brittle as pig iron. Although pig iron is harder than steel, it's too brittle. It's not suitable for making weapons and machines. Only steel can do it."

After watching the steel tapping process of No. [-] open-hearth furnace, Cao Cao and his party went to the mine again and did not return to Guangping County until three or four o'clock in the afternoon.

"Prime Minister, Li Bai, governor of Youzhou, is asking to see you."

In a restaurant in Luping County, one of his guards reported to Cao Cao.

"Please come in." Hearing Li Bai begging to see him, Cao Cao said to his guards.

Soon, Li Bai was brought in by two guards.

"Meet the Prime Minister." Li Bai saluted Cao Cao.

"Excuse me." Cao Cao waved his hand, and then said to the guards, "Give a seat to Inspector Li."

"Taibai sees me now, but what's the matter?" Cao Cao asked Li Bai kindly after seeing Li Bai sitting down.

"Prime Minister, I want to recommend someone to you." Li Bai said to Cao Cao.

"Oh, I don't know who it is? What's the talent?" Cao Cao asked.

"This man is my teacher's student and my younger brother. His name is Yue Fei, and he is a very talented warrior." Li Bai said to Cao Cao.

"Oh? Are there any talented soldiers among your junior brothers?" Cao Cao was surprised.

In his impression, Zhang Qingfeng and even his students are talents who can govern the local area, and he has never heard of talents who can lead troops.

"It's like this." Li Bai explained: "More than a year ago, bandits were rampant in Yuyang County, and the law and order in Yuyang was chaotic. There were robberies, thefts, murders and other crimes every day. I wanted to send troops to suppress the bandits, and Rectify law and order. But Liu Liangzuo, the captain of Yuyang, did not listen to my order. In order to eliminate the banditry, I had to ask Mr. Chang Lin for instructions to train the government soldiers who can fight bandits..."

"Afterwards, I trained a total of [-] yamen conscripts. The general of these yamen conscripts was my junior brother Yue Fei. He fought many battles over the past year, wiped out all the bandits in Youzhou, and made Youzhou The law and order has improved."

"Currently, the security of Youzhou no longer requires this army, but my junior brother is unwilling to disband the army. He wants to follow you, Prime Minister, to fight and make contributions everywhere." Li Bai finally said.

"That's it." After listening to Li Bai's words, Cao Cao nodded and said, "Since you recommended him, let him follow me."

"Thank you Prime Minister, I thank you on behalf of my junior brother." Li Bai said happily.

"By the way, Prime Minister, my junior brother wants you to inspect the army and see his training results. Look..."

"Where is your junior brother?" Cao Cao asked.

"It's at the Kuangping Military Camp, less than thirty miles away from Kuangping County." Li Bai said.

"Then you go and tell him that I will review his army on the Junping City Wall at noon tomorrow," Cao Cao said.

"Okay, I'll go back and tell my junior brother the good news."

PS: My author account is a new account, so I can't reply to you in the comment area, sorry, but I have seen all your comments.

(End of this chapter)