Chapter 322： Grey Iron Casting Dacheng

In the East, large-scale smelting of pig iron has always been a national-level project.

As many as 64 large state-owned iron plants in the Western Han Dynasty were using clay to produce molten iron in blast furnaces, and using it to fine-process it into carbon steel, thus achieving the great power of the Han Dynasty. It is the kind of big iron factory, it almost never stops smelting at the beginning, unless the blast furnace is eventually eroded by molten iron to an incurable point. In that kind of smelting, the craftsman supplies ore and charcoal to the furnace, and even coke made by burning coal. The craftsman on the other side always estimates the furnace temperature and controls the opening and closing of the tap hole.

However, the Ross tribe does not have such strong industrial strength to ensure the continuous operation of an "iron-eating monster". However, the blast furnace was discontinued because there was no raw material. As long as the internal debris is cleaned up before the next use, the damage to the furnace itself is not great. In other words, the biggest damage is actually the price-performance ratio. Because in an iron plant with a very stable supply of fuel ore, the blast furnace was suddenly shut down, which is really incredible.

Lurik was prepared to accept that the furnace was forced to shut down after the ore smelting was completed. Ah, what a big deal, after the new ore is in place, the furnace starts up for the second time.

Crimson flames soared up with gray-black smoke, and the flames and thick smoke of the stove proved that the temperature of the stove was too low.

Rurik was silent for a while, "Cravason."

"in."

"Maybe the stove will continue to be roasted until tomorrow. We will burn it all night for this night!"

"Huh? Do it again?! Didn't we just harden it?"

Obviously, Kravasson refers to the initial incineration operation that hardened the furnace.

"It's not the same!" Rurik pointed out: "We are serious now. We must keep the furnace at the limit of temperature before putting the ore."

Kravasson could see that Rurik obviously had a thousand words, he was a boy with great wisdom, but he could never understand it in a short time.

Fortunately, don't ask too much, just follow Rurik's orders strictly.

For Rurik, he expected the blacksmiths to operate a blast furnace without a teacher. Even if Rurik has only a theoretical basis, he chose to be the object of worship by the blacksmiths, and the only technical consultant who can guide people and use this furnace to make molten iron.

The long heating furnace operation lasted uninterrupted until near noon the next day. The mercenaries who sweated like rain throughout the night have now become a group of strong and employed fishermen. Just like the mercenaries, the newcomers The people also went shirtless. In the sun, their sweaty backs fully proved their hardship.

"It's really hard!"

Seeing the smelting scene in full swing, Rurik had to sigh with emotion.

Cravason and Kawei, who are always paying attention to the flames, finally waited for the moment of desire.

Kawei hurriedly ran to the side of Rurik who was watching, and he pointed to the flame: "The yellow fire lasts for a while. My dear, we shouldn't waste any more time."

"Okay! Start throwing in the ore!"

"okay!"

No matter how much sweat he swayed, it was for the present moment. Lurik looked at the back of Kawei running, paying particular attention to his sweat-soaked sackcloth.

A large amount of ore was thrown into the furnace, and at the moment, inside the furnace, the chromite used as refractory bricks, they have built a strong insulation layer, and they have taken over all the hematite and magnetite.

All the prepared ore was thrown in, and the flame color turned red almost instantly.

Kawei frowned. He knew that the furnace temperature had suddenly plummeted.

Clavasson's brows wrinkled and everyone seeped. He stood beside Rurik and asked nervously, "What should I do if it has become a red flame?"

"It doesn't matter, I know it in my heart."

"Huh? This is also in your plan?"

"Yes, everything is in plan." Rurik rolled his head abruptly, "Cravason."

"in."

"It’s impossible to smelt all the ores in two days! Kawei will continue to take my brothers and wait on this furnace around the clock, and you. Since you object to the direct condensation of molten iron on the sand, you can make it for me. A lot of pottery clay molds! I don't have any requirements. In the end, I need a batch of cast iron ingots in all directions. It must be easy to make the corresponding molds."

"This..." Cravason asked hesitantly, "Then why don't we just cast the tools?"

"Forget it. When we smelt for the second time, we will talk about it when we are prepared very well. As for the iron ingots, I will teach you new smelting skills in the future. Those iron ingots are the raw materials."

Rurik was selling off the hook. Although Clavassen was curious, he wouldn't be nonsense with the heavy tasks on his shoulders now. He didn't even stop being a spectator, and immediately became anxious about his fellow blacksmiths, most of the potters in the tribe.

On the one hand, the blast furnace that had eaten a stomach of ore received a long roast, and the melting of pig iron was slowly taking place at a relatively micro level. The changes in the crowd were destined to turn into a furnace of pig iron.

On the other side, after a small meeting of blacksmiths and potters, a pottery-making movement arose in the cluttered streets of the tribe.

Because of a news spread like wildfire!

There are rumors in the tribe that the great Rurik needs a lot of pottery, as long as it can hold the molten iron, Rurik will give the pottery maker a sum of money. Almost all the people who know how to make pottery in the tribe are involved in this money-making operation. Their ideas are extremely simple, and the purpose is to get a reasonable reward from the family of the richest chief of the tribe to subsidize the family.

When Rurik felt that the smelting had reached the point where it could produce iron, it was already the third day after the ignition.

Within three days, the tribesmen produced a large amount of pottery of varying quality, and the work of burning pottery and charcoal on a large scale caused the entire tribe to become a mess.

At least a large amount of pottery to hold molten iron is finished. No matter how bad it is, it is better than letting pig iron cool down directly on the sand.

The long furnace challenges the patience of all participants.

No one knows how much charcoal is consumed. From the bright smiles of the charcoal-burners, Rurik can be sure that they have made a lot of money.

Rurik was standing next to the stove, specifically standing twenty steps away from the end of the taphole drainage trough. He didn't want to risk being sprayed out by the molten iron directly.

At the same time, after hearing the news that the casting of molten iron was about to become a big success, when the sky was shining brightly, a large number of tribesmen rushed to the early gathering and gathered near Cravason's home. One after another, as many as two thousand people became spectators. They pointed to the still lively smelting site, whispering continuously, and the chaotic voice was extremely noisy.

Rurik became the focus of much attention.

He got up early, just to stand by the stove to witness a great moment, and also to take advantage of the crowds onlookers, take advantage of the hot molten iron, and then attract a lot of popularity to himself.

Everyone is waiting for Rurik's instructions.

Clavasson and Kawei, the two stood beside Rurik, facing a very tense moment, their hearts were beating wildly, and their bodies were shaking uncontrollably.

"Are you nervous?" Rurik asked knowingly, whose heart was as calm as water.

"Of course. Soon... we will witness a miracle." Kravasson said.

"A miracle? No. You will get used to it from now on."

Rurik is really confident. In the past, he often observed the color of the flames from the condensed furnace mouth. There was even a period of time because the mercenaries operating the blowers worked hard, and more air was continuously injected at a high pressure. On the stove, the flame at the mouth of the stove has turned yellow and white!

What does this show? If you have a perspective eye, I'm afraid you can see the hottest hearth is almost at the level of perfection.

Oh, if two days of high-intensity incineration can't smelt pig iron, it would be too unreasonable.

"Now, are you opening two exits?" Cravason asked cautiously.

"Let's start then. Open the **** outlet first, wait until the **** is almost flowing, and then the tap hole!"

"Good Le!" Clavasson handed over this glorious task to his son Kawei.

Young Kawei, holding a special long-handled shovel, began to take out all the clay that closed the **** opening.

The stove is a solid shell, and only individual holes are weak points. It is clay that blocks the **** outlet. They resist the erosion of the **** and are easily hollowed out.

The **** outlet was dredged. When Kawei pulled out the tongs, he saw that it was completely magma silicate slag, which had become a very thin paste under extreme high temperature. Under the pressure of the **** in the furnace, a burst of magma spouted from the **** outlet, scared Kawei directly to sit on the ground, and did not care about picking up the tongs, and scrambling to the side, watching the steady flow of " With the **** gushing out like mountain spring water, he couldn't help holding his chest and feeling that he was almost killed.

This scene shocked all the onlookers, and Clavasson worried about his son, he almost sat on the ground.

As for Lilia, she was supported by someone to witness what happened today. Seeing that her husband was almost injured, she almost passed out.

Rurik tried his best to keep calm, he didn't want his panic under the gaze of thousands of onlookers. He forcefully did not panic, wiped off the cold sweat from his forehead, and continued to order Kawei who had just stood up: "Don't be afraid, it's just slag! When they run out, you open the tap! Be careful, the molten iron is just like The spring water spurts out, be careful not to get burned!"

"I! I understand."

Kawei was so frightened that it was like a child touching a glass full of boiling water for the first time. After he was scalded, he would never touch the boiling water rashly in his life. The same was true for Kawei. He learned a lesson and became extremely cautious when opening the taphole.

At the same time? Those mercenaries were ready with a large amount of pottery to accept molten iron, and all the casting molds were lined up.

Kravasson took his own responsibility with the elaborate clay crucible specially made for smelting bronze. Through Rurik's explanation, he estimated that only this crucible was not afraid of molten iron corrosion.

The fact is indeed the case. The temperature of molten pig iron is not much higher than that of bronze water. A crucible with a large amount of refractory ore will melt and disintegrate at a higher temperature.

The tap hole at the bottom of the furnace was pierced!

At the moment of the stabbing, Kawei realized that something was wrong. He felt a strong pressure, and his hands could hardly control the iron rod of the tongs.

"All ready! The iron is out!"

Kawei yelled and pulled out the tongs in an instant. At the same time, a hot almost white iron stream, like a stream, was flowing in the iron canal.

Rurik's eyes widened. He was not happy for a moment, it was a great success. Some just rushed forward, urged the mercenaries who controlled the pottery, received almost the molten iron, and pushed the pottery away.

The task is only to carry the molten iron and allow it to condense into white iron. The ceramic containers are pushed away one after another. The hot iron fruit is eroding the walls of the pottery, but the molten iron itself is rapidly cooling, and its almost white color is slowly changing. The red becomes dimmed.

The hot molten iron is still flowing continuously. Due to the decrease of the molten iron capacity in the furnace, the pressure has been reduced a lot, making the flowing molten iron no longer so irritable.

This is the timing that Kravasson is waiting for!

Suddenly, his crucible was aimed at the lead trough, which was full of molten iron.

"Hey! Good time to cast." He smiled and clamped the crucible with the tongs, and while Rurik was stunned, he pointed the "mouth" of the crucible at the inlet of the largest mold.

The hot molten iron is really like a smooth pouring mold like spring water, that is, it is poured with a lot of flames.

Some of the vent holes reserved on the mold are also spewing invisible hot gas, and the mold itself has become a very hot existence.

In the place where Rurik can't see, a large cast iron pot is rapidly forming. Completely molten iron for iron smelting, after all, is the most fundamentally different from glass. When it cools to a critical temperature, it quickly hardens into a dark red solid.

Seeing a little molten iron left in the cauldron held by the tongs, Klavasen stretched his head and knocked, then shook his head: "Oh, my cauldron is too big."

"The casting is finished?" Rurik was anxious, but his natural thought of seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages made him dare not approach the casting site hastily.

"And those axes."

"Then finish it quickly. I hope to see your casting soon."

What Rurik actually wanted was to quickly get a long-awaited big iron pot, and Kravasson naturally understood that his old friend was eager to produce the axe.

All the prepared molds have been cast, and the pig iron stored in the entire furnace has been collected in a short time.

The molten iron carried by a large number of clay containers is rapidly condensing. They are naturally cooled by the wind of indeterminate wind. Some people with very few eyes are standing on the roof or on some uncut trees in the settlements, watching The legendary change of molten iron in a large number of pottery.

The luminosity of the molten iron, which was originally emitting a bright yellow light, began to drop, and the molten iron contained first had obviously hardened, turned dark red, and continued to change to gray-black.

Rurik had his hands behind his back, his eyes staring at the biggest mold, and he wanted to pour water on the mold to speed up the cooling. But he would not do this. The drastic cooling brought about the cracking of the iron pan, which would be terrible.

This is the tap hole of the rushing molten iron, and there is no new molten iron flowing out. It didn't actually flow, and a small part was always at the bottom of the furnace. They began to condense naturally, and once again mixed with the chromium-iron alloy that had been turned into the inner pot of the furnace.

The stove was supposed to be recycled, Rurik looked at the stove that had been completely extinguished, and couldn't help shook his head.

Kawei roared, attracting the attention of many mercenaries and hired coolies: "The stove is empty! I will close the exit."

Rurik gestured to his eyes, and Kawei understood. A blast furnace produced a large amount of molten iron. Because it did not have enough raw materials, it was closed and the next time it was opened for unknown time.

After a not-so-long wait, Kravasson estimated the molten iron based on the approximate freezing time of the bronze. He felt that the time was ripe.

He took the molten iron forged with the steel sword in his hand and looked at Rurik: "My lord, it's time to look at the axe."

"Finally finished?"

"Yes it is."

Rurik nodded, and then boldly walked over, only to see Clavasson's strong right hand gripping the molten iron, fiercely beating the mold fiercely. The pottery that had been eroded by the molten iron broke into a large number of fragments, and the cast iron axe slices that were successfully cast after a beating, accompanied by a large number of iron bars that outlined the drainage trough appeared impressively.

Seeing this feat, all onlookers were stunned.

Those with excellent eyesight watching lively from a distance, they began to exclaim, and after a while, the exclamation of thousands of onlookers abruptly turned into a fierce roar.

Cravason simply smiled and bent over, holding his axe high, facing the sun in the sky, thanking God for his favor.

Pig iron casting has indeed succeeded.

Cravason knocked down the four cast iron axe blades. As for the iron protrusions on the axe blades that belonged to the drainage channel, it didn't matter.

The axe is not polished. Its appearance is very rough, but its shape is specially made. You only need to provide a wooden stick, and you can tightly trap it on the stick with hemp rope. This cast axe piece can fully meet the daily needs of ordinary people. The only finishing it needs now is to polish the sharp blade with sandstone. I am afraid that this work cannot be offended by the blacksmith himself. It will be the buyer's business.

The hot axe was splashed with a bucket of water, and by the way it became touchable by hand.

Clavasson was holding four axe blades in his hand and happily approached Rurik to show off: "Look, we succeeded. We actually made the axe blades very easily."

Rurik was indeed happy, but the durability of pig iron tools was too poor. Perhaps the most useful tool it could make was iron scissors.

Rurik squeezed out a smile, pointed at the biggest mold and urged: "Time should be enough. Break it for me. I want to see my iron pot."

"Time is indeed enough." Kravasson was itching, and he immediately called a few brawny men who were eager to try, and even his son Kawei.

A group of people held their own hammers, shouting chants and knocking on the biggest mold.

The pottery mold quickly disintegrated, and in broad daylight it showed a gray-black color.

Upon seeing this, Rurik made sure that the conclusion he had just reached was extremely correct.

His eyes widened, not only marveling at this iron pot that basically satisfies him in nature, but also that it is gray iron, one of the most easily available cast irons.

Rurik's stupefaction caused Clarvasson, who was hungry for praise, urged: "My lord, what do you think?"

Rurik immediately returned to his senses: "Oh, that's great. It's actually gray... gray."

This "grey" is really meaningful. Klavasen can perceive the subtlety of Rurik's attitude, but he doesn't know what it is.

What does it mean?

Although Rurik wanted to obtain carbon steel, he wished that the blast furnace could directly burn the white iron at a higher temperature in one step. Since all he got was dark gray gray iron, he didn't lose any money at all.

Gray iron is the most cost-effective cast iron. It will take on the burden of popularizing ironware for the entire tribe and servants.