Chapter 214

"Chief, what is cement? Is it a mixture of mud and water? But it's not like that... "After thinking for a long time, David Addison couldn't describe what the mixture of mud and water should be called.

"It's not a mixture of mud and water, but rather a dry powder. This kind of powder will turn into something like mud when it meets with water, but it will harden within dozens of hours. When it hardens and becomes solid, it's very, very hard, just like rock. This kind of powder with this property, I call it cement. " Stone bear patted his head and explained that he realized at this time that the word cement didn't appear.

After hearing this explanation from the stone bear, brother gaigai, who didn't speak much, seemed to think of something. He asked, "chief, is this kind of thing you're talking about burned with limestone containing clay and volcanic ash?"

Stone bear hesitated for a moment. He didn't know the formula of cement in this period, but he knew that about ten years ago, a British engineer did develop the method of mixing limestone and pozzolanic ash with clay, and the final product was similar to modern cement.

The engineer's research laid a theoretical foundation for modern cement.

So the stone bear nodded and said, "almost. Why, bill, do you know this thing?"

Bill Gates nodded thoughtfully: "if the powder you said has that property, I think the kind of thing I have seen before should be the cement you said. But the kind of thing I've seen in England before is not called cement, but hydraulic lime. "

After a pause, brother Gai continued to explain: "before I came to England, my father had a good friend who was a construction engineer. His name was James Smeaton. He was very good at studying some building materials. I remember that about nine years ago, before Mary was born, Mr. Smeaton made a research, that is, the kind of limestone containing clay and volcanic ash mixed together, calcined, and then ground into powder, and finally made things with water can quickly condense, the object after condensation is very hard, and rock is no different. Mr. Smeaton called this powdery thing hydraulic lime

After hearing what brother Gai said, Shi Xiong knew that the hydraulic lime produced by Mr. Smeaton was actually cement, but it was not as perfect as the modern cement of later generations.

In fact, cement was invented a long time ago, dating back to ancient Rome.

In the ancient Roman period, the ancient Romans began to use the mixture of lime and pozzolanic ash in their buildings. The concrete made of cemented gravel with it not only has higher strength after hardening, but also can resist the erosion of fresh water or saline water.

However, it seems that the prototype or theoretical basis of modern cement is really created by the construction engineer named Smeaton. Unexpectedly, Smeaton engineer is brother Gai's father's good friend.

The stone bear asked brother Gai happily, "bill, have you ever seen Mr. Smeaton burning cement? Or can you burn it? "

This question is just a casual question of stone bear. Although brother gaige's family conditions were not good at that time, he was also a noble, even a poor noble. How could a noble do this kind of cement burning work?

But surprise sometimes comes so suddenly.

"Yes, the brick kiln Mr. Smeaton built for firing hydraulic lime was not far from my home, so I often saw Mr. Smeaton and his workers firing this kind of thing. Chief, you know, I was already obsessed with alchemy at that time. I felt that this magical powder seemed to have a certain role in promoting my alchemy, so I used to help several times when I was free... "

"You mean you can cook this?" Stone bear asked in surprise.

"Burn, but burn." But I don't know the ratio of the raw materials in it. Mr. Smeaton didn't tell me the specific ratio of raw materials. I can't make it without it. "

"Ha ha, this is simple. You don't know the ratio of raw materials, I know. Bill, if I tell you the ratio of raw materials for firing cement, oh, this kind of hydraulic lime, can you give me what I want? "

Brother Gai grabs his scalp again, grabs a large "snowflake", hesitates a little and says: "I'll try, I think it should be OK."

"Well, that's settled! Jean and Jack, I'll give you all the manpower you need and all the raw materials you need. " Shi Xiong decided these two things, "I'll arrange personnel and raw materials for you right now..."

Stone bear really didn't expect that he just casually asked about these two things. As a result, Agust and brother Gai could do both. Although brother Gai can't make real cement yet, it's really nothing. As long as the ratio of raw materials and raw materials is well matched, it's much easier to make cement than steel.

Besides, they have their own raw material ratio of glass and cement. Agust and brother Gai know how to make them, which saves them a lot of time and energy. If they are responsible for making glass and cement, maybe there will be some problems at the beginning, but if they are given time, they will definitely get these two things out.

Stone bear stood up and was about to leave when Agust grabbed him.

"Chief, you haven't told me about the decolorizer yet..."

Looking at Agust's pitiful appearance, the stone bear could not help but be happy.

Although the glass of this era has been popularized, most of the fired glass has color, especially blue and green. The main reason for this phenomenon is that iron ions are incorporated into the glass during the firing process, which leads to the glass discoloration.

For example, the crucible for firing glass mostly contains iron oxide, and the iron tube used for blowing glass also contains iron oxide. Therefore, when iron ions are mixed into the liquid glass, if no decolorizing agent is added, the glass will inevitably turn blue or green.

The main function of the decolorizer is to replace the iron ions in the liquid glass with colorless high valent iron oxides, so that the glass will no longer appear that ugly blue or green. This process is a chemical replacement process.

"Good! Do you know about arsenic? "

Agust nodded. He was an alchemist who was proficient in medicine. Naturally, he knew arsenic. Arsenic is not only a common poison in China, but also in Europe. Arsenic is the main component of arsenic