Siheyuan: I eat melons while doing scientific research

Chapter 1394-5# (3k)

Hearing his words, Gao Zhendong smiled and said, "Bring it to eat."

There was no need to keep this a secret, so Gao Zhendong was able to answer him.

Sha Zhu took it seriously when he heard this.

"Eat? You can't eat here. What do you want to eat? Our canteen can make it for you. Take it with you." As he spoke, he turned around and told the comrade carrying the load to take it back.

Gutter oil is something no human should eat. It would be a crime to make any comrade eat it.

Gao Zhendong quickly stopped him: "No, no, no, it's not what you think. It's for the machines, not for people. Don't worry."

Sha Zhu was relieved. The machine eats? Then it's alright.

Gao Zhendong tossed a cigarette to Sha Zhu and told the comrades from the technical department of the Third Factory to come out and put the two barrels of swill oil inside.

"Chief Engineer Gao, the comrades from the Applied Chemistry Department just delivered a batch of materials, saying they were what you requested. The comrades have all checked them, and there are no problems." A comrade made a phone call to Gao Zhendong's office.

The phrase "no problem" has many meanings.

Upon hearing this, Gao Zhendong made another phone call.

Now that the Applied Chemistry Department has delivered the reagents, equipment, and experimental instruments, and the canteen has also brought over the raw materials, we can get started on this project.

A colleague from the technical department walked in: "General Manager Gao, what new task do you have?"

Gao Zhendong took out a document and handed it to him.

"This is the trial plan. Take a look at it first. If you don't understand anything, ask. If you have no questions, go to the warehouse, collect the supplies according to the plan, and get things started."

The colleagues from the technical department scanned the items and their faces lit up with joy.

The matter was not complicated, and it wasn't even a very complicated chemical experiment. What made him happy was not that the matter was simple, but that as a chemistry major, he rarely had the opportunity to take charge of a project on his own at the Third Factory, and he mostly worked with other colleagues.

But this time, Chief Engineer Gao's new topic is a serious matter in the field of chemistry, and it seems to be of great significance.

In the field of chemistry, Chief Engineer Gao is like someone who doesn't make a sale for three years, but when he does, he makes enough to last him three years. Unexpectedly, the opportunity he had was for such a fascinating topic.

Moreover, the entire experimental plan, steps, objectives, etc., are very clear and straightforward, with no difficult points, making it very easy to do this well, and the entire reaction process is also short.

It was so effective that it didn't feel like a research project, but rather a production trial.

"Chief Engineer Gao, no problem, we all understand it. We'll try it out tonight." Holding the experimental plan, the chemistry majors were overjoyed and couldn't suppress their urge to get started immediately.

"No need, no need, this isn't urgent, we can talk about it tomorrow. It's almost time to get off work," Gao Zhendong said with a smile.

This matter is really not urgent and can't be rushed in a day or two. Apart from those in charge of coordinating production, the colleagues in the technical department who are engaged in research don't really work three shifts; they work regular hours.

However, Gao Zhendong completely underestimated the appeal of the technology he presented to his colleagues in the chemistry field.

Diesel can be produced from swill oil? Or even directly from vegetable oil and animal fat?

In other words, diesel fuel can be used to raise and grow crops?
Although it can only be used as a supplement, since there isn't even enough to feed people right now, it undoubtedly opens up a new path for the energy structure and greatly benefits energy security.

Moreover, using gutter oil is perfectly fine.

So Gao Zhendong's suggestion to leave work immediately was completely useless to these colleagues. Leave work? Leave what work?

Chief Engineer Gao has already designed the entire process, which will take less than 8 hours. For them, it can be resolved in one night. Moreover, Chief Engineer Gao has thoughtfully prepared the equipment and raw materials. How could they possibly resist?

This is something that no one else in the world has ever produced before; it's a groundbreaking new technology! Biodiesel production, let alone in our country, only started in the 80s, even globally.

These comrades don't have the composure to remain calm in the face of a globally unique technology.

"Chief Engineer Gao, we are not tired."

"Yes, yes, I'm not tired. I can work overtime, no problem."

One comrade started, and the others followed suit.

Gao Zhendong couldn't control this situation; if his colleagues wanted to work overtime, he couldn't really stop them. Fortunately, the entire process was relatively simple and quick, and once the results were in, his colleagues would be able to calm down. Before that, suppressing their eagerness was neither possible nor necessary.

"Alright, then you can make your own arrangements. Be careful."

Although this process doesn't even use sulfuric acid, a catalyst commonly used in organic chemical production, it still uses methanol, a toxic substance, and sodium hydroxide, a corrosive substance, considering cost and the availability of raw materials. While it's unlikely that the workers would drink any of it, safety is still a concern.

"Don't worry, Mr. Gao," the comrades thumped their chests resoundingly. Gao Zhendong himself wouldn't go to the site; there were some procedural difficulties for him to appear at such an experimental site.

The comrades in the chemistry group of the technical department took this valuable experimental... no, it could even be called process data, back to the laboratory, and immediately threw themselves into their intense work.

Although the smell of swill oil was not strong, it was still somewhat present. But at this moment, the comrades saw the dirty swill oil container as a treasure.

If Chief Engineer Gao's process design is correct, in ten hours at most, this yellowish-white waste, still containing some food scraps, will be transformed into valuable diesel fuel!

"Tetrabutyl titanate, haha, I really don't know how Chief Engineer Gao came up with the idea of ​​using this stuff..." The comrades' admiration for Gao Zhendong was like a surging river, never-ending.

Tetrabutyl titanate was a substance that even chemistry majors might not have known about in the 60s, let alone used.

"Start work, start work!"

Inside the chemistry lab, the lights shone brightly all night, and countless comrades moved about inside. Outside the lab building, countless figures appeared and disappeared, both in the light and in the shadows. Inside and outside, comrades were all diligently carrying out their tasks.

The next morning, Gao Zhendong had just entered his office when the phone rang.

"Chief Engineer Gao, we succeeded! We succeeded!" The comrades' excited voices were mixed with a series of spitting sounds, which were unusually jarring.

"Success? Great, let me come and see!" Although he knew the technology was definitely working, Gao Zhendong couldn't help but feel a sense of relief when he heard the final result.

When Gao Zhendong arrived at the laboratory, he finally understood what the spitting sound he had heard on the phone was.

Perhaps in order to prove, beyond the test data, that what they produced was indeed diesel in the most direct way, the comrades actually found a single-cylinder diesel engine, filled it with the freshly made biodiesel, and had it running happily there.

Although the single-cylinder diesel engine was placed by the window and the chimney was led outside, some residual smoke still lingered indoors, and the noise from its operation was incessant.

But the comrades showed no sign of being annoyed by any of this; on the contrary, they seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. This smoke! This sound! This is diesel fuel!

Upon seeing Gao Zhendong enter, his comrades surrounded him with admiration.

Chief Engineer Gao invented this advanced technology as if it were a casual matter, and it was a success on the first try, without any setbacks. It was so smooth that his colleagues even felt a little unsatisfied and that it seemed unreal.

This strategic technology that can change the diesel supply in emergency situations actually appeared so easily and without any major disruptions?
That's right. Although the production of this diesel fuel may not be very high, it is truly strategic in this day and age.

Perhaps Chief Engineer Gao has put in a great deal of effort behind the scenes that we can't see, but in any case, Gao Zhendong's effortless composure earns him the utmost admiration from his comrades.

What is a science committee member? This is it.

"Mr. Gao! You've arrived! Here, take a look, these are our test and analysis results."

Gao Zhendong took it and glanced at it.

Product Name: Fatty Acid Methyl Ester

Condensation point: -5.3℃

Gao Zhendong chuckled when he saw this. "Hey, it's still -5# diesel."

Cetane number: 57
This value measures the ignition performance of diesel fuel. Later national standards stipulated that diesel fuel for vehicles should not be lower than 45. Here, 57 is a very good value. Too high a value will also cause problems.

Kinematic viscosity (40℃): 4.7 mm²/s
Yes, it's within the standard kinematic viscosity range for diesel, meaning its fluidity is identical to diesel, and there's no need to modify the original diesel engine's fuel supply system. That's why people dare to directly pour biodiesel into the fuel tank of a single-cylinder diesel engine.

In addition, there are a series of test data such as flash point, ignition point, density, and calorific value. All of these test data point to one conclusion: this stuff is diesel fuel!

Anyway, there's nothing wrong with using it as diesel fuel.

If something looks like a duck, makes a duck-like sound, and tastes like a duck, then it is a duck!

"Chief Engineer Gao, the biodiesel you've developed is indistinguishable from real diesel!" the comrades exclaimed excitedly.

Gao Zhendong smiled and nodded, then asked, "What's the yield?"

Simply put, it's how much biodiesel can be obtained from a unit weight of swill oil.

Speaking of this, the comrades were even more excited, the yield was frighteningly high!
"91.7%!!!!" Chief Engineer Gao is amazing! He can not only turn swill oil into diesel, but he can do it almost completely!

A yield of over 90% means that the utilization of raw materials has been almost maximized.

This played a decisive role in the mass production of this technology. Chief Engineer Gao's first experiment brought the process to a highly mature stage.

(End of this chapter)