Siheyuan: I eat melons while doing scientific research

Chapter 1434 Mutual Schemes (5k)

"Two kinds? Rapid progress?"

This news surprised all the comrades. Two types of ferrite were not unusual, but the addition of the adjective "rapid progress" made it quite different.

In fact, comrades are not unfamiliar with ferrite before, and it has been used for microwave amplification. However, it is a different story to say that it is used for phase shifting, especially for phase shifting in certain specific bands.

The Applied Chemicals Department is responsible for manufacturing. However, they haven't even figured out how to manufacture according to the actual design, let alone according to their "imagined" ideas.

Even more so, the raw material for ferrite phase shifters—ferrite itself—is a problem. After all, ferrite is relatively easy to obtain, but good ferrite is difficult to find.

Against this backdrop, the fact that the 17th Ministry of Machinery Industry had developed more than one type of ferrite in a short period of time, and that progress had been rapid, was quite surprising to them.

"Is it related to the phase shifter?" the chief engineer asked.

"I don't know, you know there are some special cases with the 17th Ministry of Machinery Industry. But they requested two batches of raw materials that were clearly different types of ferrite in a very short period of time." This comrade's words forced the chief engineer to back down from his question about "what materials" that he was about to ask.

Yes, the 17th Ministry of Machine Building was somewhat special.

"Wait a minute, they're asking us for raw materials and equipment. Does that mean they're using chemical methods to manufacture ferrites?" One comrade was quite surprised. Using chemical methods to manufacture ferrites? Could the 17th Ministry of Machine Building be more professional than us?
“Hey, now that you mention it, I also feel something’s not right. Are they really more professional and faster than us at manufacturing ferrites using chemical methods? That doesn’t make sense. Are you sure you’re not mistaken?” Another comrade finished speaking, completing what the previous comrade hadn’t said.

"I was also surprised, but the facts show that they might really be that good." The comrade who mentioned this had a hint of shame on his face, because he remembered that he had half-jokingly said that those blacksmiths were also doing this, but he didn't expect that they were much faster than him.

The chief engineer raised his hand: "Well, don't talk nonsense. There are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding. We are the Applied Chemistry Department, but that doesn't mean that all the chemical talents in the world are under our jurisdiction."

He and a very small number of his colleagues knew that, while it was hard to say about other ministries, the 17th Ministry of Machinery Industry did indeed have at least one top-notch expert in chemistry, and one that surprised everyone.

That person's characteristic is that when he does act, he doesn't act at all, but when he does, the craftsmanship is usually perfect and the progress is incredibly fast.

You can't argue with this person's actions; he's not trying to steal work, but rather solving a difficult problem that he can't currently resolve on his own.

Before this, that person's interests were mostly in pyrotechnics, so it's hard to say whether he's the one working on ferrites.

"Alright, let's ask the relevant departments later to see if they can help us. Okay, let's turn our attention back to the organization and personnel of the ferrite phase shifter." The chief engineer kept this in mind, but didn't discuss it in depth. If they really wanted to find that person, it probably wouldn't be very useful to ask the 17th Ministry of Machine Building; they would have to go through other special units.

The meeting continues.
-
And the "person" in the heart of the chief engineer of the Applied Chemistry Department is now thinking of them as well, heading in two directions towards what belongs to them.

However, Gao Zhendong thinking about them and them thinking about Gao Zhendong are two different things.

The incident began around the same time as their meeting started.

The person who brought this up was General Manager Zhang of Chunlei Machinery Factory.

The factory that's working on graphite bombs and other non-lethal bombs has run into some minor trouble.

"That's the situation right now. We've tested a lot of common materials, even the silk you used in wire-guided missiles back then, but the results haven't been good," General Manager Zhang said to Gao Zhendong, flipping through his notebook.

They were really out of options. At first, they thought that thin conductive wires were easy to work with, so they decided to start doing it themselves. They couldn't rely on Chief Engineer Gao for everything.

But when you actually start doing it, you find that it's not like that at all.

Actually, there's not much technical complexity in the conductive fiber bomb itself. In fact, Chief Engineer Gao's team even did a rough design for the bomb's structure, and after testing, the results were excellent.

The fibers were spread far and wide, but the problem lay with the fibers themselves.

They tried the most basic method—copper, since it was the easiest good conductor to find and cheaper than silver.

Although Chief Engineer Gao said he would use graphite fiber and that he would find a way, comrades, we can't wait. Besides, there are many paths to a goal; maybe we can find a new one, which would save Chief Engineer Gao time.

Time is a very precious resource, and Chief Engineer Gao's time is even more precious.

However, the experiments revealed that copper was not the case at all. It was heavy, and while it had good ductility, it wasn't thin enough to float in the wind like a hair. Too thin a structure would have poor strength, and if the structure was strong enough, it would fall straight down in the air like a weight falling into water, resulting in very poor coverage.

More importantly, copper wire has a low melting point, so it burns through instantly before it can even reach the target and cause a short circuit.

There is no copper wire that can withstand the heat of a large current for a certain period of time... The diameter of such a copper wire is as large as that of the bullet itself.

If copper doesn't work, it means that all metals don't work either.

Only then did the comrades realize why Chief Engineer Gao had said to use graphite fiber; it turned out this wasn't just a casual example, but a specific material he had designated.

Then the comrades started to think of a solution. They didn't know what graphite fiber looked like, but at least they knew that there was something that was naturally a fiber and had pretty good strength.

--silk.

As a result, the silk was even worse. Putting everything else aside, the very fact that silk had sufficient electrical conductivity was a major obstacle that kept them out of the game.

Then a comrade's words reminded everyone: "Silk seems to be even less resistant to high temperatures."

Well, all that work was for nothing; it's useless for conducting electricity.

So, the one who tied the knot must untie it, and they simply came to find Gao Zhendong.

After hearing their words, Gao Zhendong laughed. It really wasn't their fault.

The main issue is that there weren't enough chances to win the prize before New Year's Day, so I figured there was no rush and I was just waiting for the extra chances that would be added on New Year's Day.

We planned to wait until after New Year's Day, when we had enough ammunition, and considering it was the Lunar New Year, we decided to start afterward. But before the Lantern Festival was even over, the comrades were already itching to get started.

"I didn't expect you to be so quick. Hmm. I understand the situation and will get to work on it immediately. For now, you can focus your efforts on the electromagnetic pulse bomb. As for the bomb itself, you can conduct pilot tests using silkworm silk first, and then replace it with a suitable alternative later."

Mr. Zhang was delighted to hear this. It seems that using silkworm silk wasn't entirely a mistake; at least it solved the problem of the simulation experiment.

"Speed ​​is definitely guaranteed. This fiber bomb only has two parts: the structure and the fiber. You already provided a highly complete structure, so we can develop it very quickly. We just need the fiber. Okay, let's test it first and put all our main resources into the electromagnetic pulse bomb."

Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) bombs were also prototyped, but they were much more complicated than graphite fiber bombs.

Because it is necessary to control the detonation speed of the explosives and the expansion speed and shape of the aluminum tube in the middle, it is like carving on tofu, requiring a lot of calculations and experiments.

Fortunately, we have high-speed computers and finite element simulation, which saved us a lot of trouble.

The comrades from Chunlei Factory came and went in a hurry. They still had tasks to complete, such as purchasing and borrowing materials and equipment. Otherwise, they could have just made a phone call and finished the matter.

After seeing them off, Gao Zhendong worked swiftly and decisively, finding what he wanted.

It's not meaningful to just solve the problem of conductive fibers. If you're going to do it, do it properly. After all, the foundation of conductive fibers is a material that everyone will know and love decades from now, a material that was once highly regarded.

— Carbon fiber.

Gao Zhendong planned to take advantage of this opportunity to dig up the roots of the Japanese, at least to get ahead from the start.

More importantly, Gao Zhendong is incredibly fast at making this stuff! He can even dig up the roots of related patents along the way!
If we're really desperate, we can try small-scale, workshop-style production; it's not like we can't use it, since there aren't many places where this stuff is urgently needed at first.

In fact, we were not without research on PAN-based carbon fiber at that time, but the progress was not fast. We were still conducting basic research, and the first pilot production line was not put into operation until 74. Gao Zhendong couldn't wait any longer.

Before this, carbon fiber wasn't the most urgent need, and environmental conditions weren't necessarily supportive or necessary. But now, it's something we can spare the time to consider. Mixing it into graphite fiber bombs feels a bit like trying to make dumplings for a dish of vinegar, since carbon fiber has far more uses than just vinegar for graphite bombs.

Gao Zhendong picked up the phone, intending to dial the number for the Northeast Carbon Research Institute—it was perfect for carbon fiber—but he immediately put the phone down.

This thing is actually closer to chemical engineering, so why go to the trouble of looking elsewhere? It would be much more convenient to find resources from the Department of Applied Chemistry or the Department of Mathematical and Physical Chemistry of the National Institute of Science and Technology!
So, while the Applied Chemistry Department was eyeing Gao Zhendong, Gao Zhendong also set his sights on the Applied Chemistry Department. What mutual scheming...
The leader of the National Defense Industry Committee looked at the application from the Applied Chemicals Department, then at the document from Gao Zhendong that had just been signed, and laughed.

"Hey, these two companies are thinking the same thing." He signed his name on the application from the Applied Chemistry Department, and then wrote a string of words on it.

Ferrite is important, especially since that major project is being accelerated and brought forward. Gao Zhendong's matter is equally important, although we don't know what he's planning to do.

The chief engineer of the Applied Chemicals Department looked at the reply from the National Defense Industry Commission with a puzzled expression.

As expected, I was right. It was that person who was related to ferrite, but the request was a bit strange.

I agreed, but why did they ask me to bring along a colleague specializing in organic chemistry, preferably polyacrylonitrile? Is ferrite related to that? Hey, that colleague is truly extraordinary; his ability to find a unique path is quite unbelievable.

But that's not important. What's important is that the ferrite phase shifter, which has faced numerous difficulties, can finally receive some help.

As for polyacrylonitrile-related matters, many comrades are familiar with them, but the most knowledgeable are in Northeast China. Fortunately, Committee Member Gao didn't make any specific requests, so finding someone from the Institute of Applied Chemistry to go there should be sufficient.

Before Gao Zhendong could receive any comrades from the Applied Chemistry Department, he was greeted by an uninvited guest.

Of course, the term "uninvited guest" here is not derogatory; it is merely a neutral expression.

The visitor was a colleague from the Ministry of Foreign Trade, whose identity was quite interesting; he was in charge of export control.

"Committee Member Gao, please take a look at this." He placed a document in front of Gao Zhendong.

Gao Zhendong took it and looked at it carefully, then laughed. This thing looked familiar!

Although I had never been involved in this kind of work before, since I was a student in my previous life and this job was too prestigious, I had heard about it quite a lot in my previous life.

This is an application document from abroad requesting the import of gallium.

At that time, gallium was not as important as it would be decades later; it was mainly used for the production of red and green LEDs and for research and experimentation.

Zhenxing Electric Technology's red and green LEDs have been patented and licensed out, so it's not surprising that foreign countries have a demand for gallium.

Although its uses are limited, there aren't many of these things available.

Gao Zhendong admired the applicant's talent. They had already sensed the potential of the electrolytic aluminum gallium refining process, which had just gotten on track and had some inventory.

“This is a rare find, but according to regulations, the export of special metal materials must be approved. This is the first time we’ve encountered something like this. Considering that you are an expert in metals, we are here to seek your opinion.”

To be honest, the comrades from the Ministry of Foreign Trade are a bit confused about what this thing is for. It's just too rare. A solid at room temperature, a metal that can melt in the palm of your hand—this is the first time they've ever heard of it. It's even rarer than mercury.

But if we're talking about something special, it's undoubtedly very special.

As for its use, I really don't know.

The committee member in front of me is actually a key initiator of the export control regulations and an expert in the relevant field, so asking him about this matter is the most appropriate thing to do.

"What is the ministry's opinion?" Gao Zhendong did not answer directly, but asked with great interest.

"The ministry's intention is to avoid exporting."

The official from the Ministry of Foreign Trade said, and then offered a few more explanations.

"Firstly, this thing isn't expensive, and the quantity isn't large, so the total amount isn't much. Besides, this thing looks quite rare. Although I don't know what it's used for, it's always good to keep rare things in your possession."

At this point, even the staff from the Ministry of Foreign Trade laughed.

When something is relatively rare, doesn't bring huge profits, has an unclear purpose, and is subject to export controls, people will undoubtedly tend to be conservative.

What if I sell the treasure for a pittance?

Gao Zhendong nodded. The idea was quite sound, but his thoughts were somewhat different.

"Hmm... Okay, let me explain the uses of this first."

Gao Zhendong explained the general purpose, and the comrades from the Ministry of Foreign Trade understood: "Lighting? Scientific research? Then that's not very sensitive..."

However, Gao Zhendong's next words made him change his mind again.

"...But in my opinion, this metal has a bright future and is very useful."

Oh, I see.

"Then it seems we can't export it," said the official from the Ministry of Foreign Trade.

But Gao Zhendong's next sentence changed again.

"...Nevertheless, I personally now prefer exports, and I want prices to remain relatively stable."

No, what do you mean? Just say it all at once! This sentence is so convoluted and torturous.

Although somewhat amused, the colleague from the Ministry of Foreign Trade still asked earnestly, "Why? Given the broad prospects, and the need to maintain stable prices."

Good stuff should be stocked up on.
Gao Zhendong laughed and said, "It's very simple. We'll make people used to our products and make them unable to live without us. As for stable prices, we'll make them too lazy to even think about doing it themselves."

Although gallium is a very special substance, even if one wanted to establish a refining method, it might be impossible because it is extremely dependent on the large-scale electrolytic aluminum industry. Without this, even if one has money to invest, it would be like carrying a pig's head but not finding the temple gate.

However, it's best to be complacent. Gallium doesn't have many uses now, and generally no one will buy it to hoard. After all, while it may not seem expensive, the unit price isn't actually low.

Moreover, Gao Zhendong is not without backup plans.

Although Gao Zhendong's words were not very clear, as someone from the Ministry of Foreign Trade, how could this comrade not understand the meaning behind Gao Zhendong's words?

Wow... This Committee Member Gao is probably more than just a tech expert. No wonder before I came, my boss told me to listen carefully to Committee Member Gao's opinions and suggestions, and to write down every single word he said to show him later.

While taking notes in his notebook, he said, "I understand what you mean. We still need to do our part for gallium-related research around the world."

Gao Zhendong almost clapped. "Wow, that's really well said."

“However, in my opinion, while exports are exports, there are still some rules that need to be followed. These rules apply to all special metals,” Gao Zhendong suggested.

"What rules?" Sure enough, this Committee Member Gao was very meticulous and not the type to be rigid and unrestrained.

"First, the applicant needs to specify the purpose for which he or she purchases the goods. If it is found that the goods are clearly detrimental to our interests, the export will be prohibited."

I understand the logic, but there's no way to put it into practice.

"Committee Member Gao, the other party can fabricate a purpose, which makes it difficult for us to verify, doesn't it?"

Gao Zhendong smiled and nodded: "Yes, this step is mainly to form a habit and demonstrate our attitude, which will come in handy in the future."

Oh, I see. What Committee Member Gao meant was that it was just a formality, and it might not mean much for the time being, but it could be very interesting later.

"Second, applications with unusual quantity or timing should be approved with caution."

Want to buy and sell for profit, hoard and speculate? No way!
(End of this chapter)