Reborn in 2012, building a new energy empire

In the third week of December, the temperature in Nanjing dropped significantly.

At six o'clock in the morning, the sky was not yet fully bright.

When Jiang Haoran walked into the old laboratory building of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Jinling University, the hallway was still lit by dim, motion-activated lights.

There was a unique smell in the air, a mixture of old wood, chemical reagents, and dust, a smell he had become familiar with over time.

The laboratory at the far east end of the third floor had its door ajar, and white light shone from inside.

He pushed the door open and went in.

The laboratory was much warmer than outside, with the heat emitted by the large instruments keeping the room temperature around 20 degrees Celsius.

On the lab bench against the wall, various beakers, measuring cylinders, and glasswares are neatly arranged, and several precision balances are placed on a shockproof platform.

The most eye-catching thing is the self-built composite coating experimental device in the middle—a transparent plexiglass tank about half a person's height, with several extremely thin steel wire substrates inside, connected to complex circuits and peristaltic pump pipelines.

Professor Sun Zhigang, wearing a white coat, was bending over to observe the state of the bubbles near the electrodes in the tank.

Gu Qiushi stood in front of the control panel, staring at the fluctuating voltage and current curves on the screen.

Two graduate students were preparing new electrolyte on the workbench next to them, their movements very gentle.

"Teacher Sun, Engineer Gu," Jiang Haoran greeted them.

Gu Qiushi turned around, his eyes bloodshot, but he seemed to be in good spirits. "You're here? Perfect timing, this batch of samples has just been processed and is undergoing pretreatment."

Sun Zhigang straightened up, rubbed his lower back, and nodded to Jiang Haoran: "The parameters have been adjusted again. Take a look."

Jiang Haoran walked to the control panel. The screen displayed data records from the past seventy-two hours of continuous experiments, densely packed with curves and numbers.

His gaze fell on the last set of new data: the test value of the interface combined with strength: 318 MPa.

My heart skipped a beat.

Two weeks ago, this value was hovering around 220 MPa, and even the best batches did not exceed 250.

The standard for imported first-tier products is generally above 350 MPa.

"Is this data stable?" he asked, his voice remaining calm.

"The test values ​​of the six substrates processed in the same batch fluctuated between 305 and 328." Gu Qiushi pulled up a detailed distribution chart.

"The coefficient of dispersion has decreased by 37 percent compared to the previous batch. The key is..." He switched pages to display scanning electron microscope images, "Look at the particle distribution."

Jiang Haoran leaned closer to the screen. In the photo, the diamond micropowder adhered more evenly to the surface of the steel wire, and the "bald spots" caused by agglomeration were greatly reduced.

"Has the formula been adjusted?" he asked.

"Hmm." Sun Zhigang took over and walked to the whiteboard. It was filled with chemical formulas and parameters. "The main thing is that the proportion and addition method of the complexing agent have been optimized."

Previously, we always tried to increase the particle loading rate in a single coating, which actually affected the uniformity. Now, we've switched to a step-by-step addition method, allowing the particles to "grow" layer by layer, resulting in a stronger bond.

He put it simply, but Jiang Haoran knew what it meant—hundreds of small trials, adjusting three to five variables each time, with each variable having a dozen or so gradients to test.

Failed, cleaned the equipment, prepared the solution again, and tried again. Day after day.

"Have you done the lifespan test?" Jiang Haoran asked.

"The first batch of accelerated test samples ran for forty-eight hours." Gu Qiushi opened another file.

"The wire wear rate is 42 percent lower than the previous generation. Based on this trend, the actual cutting life should be close to 80 percent of that of imported second-tier products."

The lab was silent for a few seconds.

80% of imported products are second-tier products.

Three months ago, this number was something the team wouldn't have dared to even dream of. Back then, they were racking their brains trying to break through the 200 MPa threshold.

"Is the data reliable?" Jiang Haoran asked to confirm.

"We conducted three parallel experiments, and the trends were consistent," Sun Zhigang said steadily.

"Of course, this is only data from the pilot stage. The stability of the process still needs to be verified when scaled up to the intermediate stage. But at least..."

He paused for a moment, then looked at Jiang Haoran, "At least it proves that we've chosen the right path."

Jiang Haoran let out a long breath.

He walked to the window and looked at the sky outside, which was gradually brightening.

Across from the laboratory building is the student cafeteria, where early-rising students were already hurrying past with their breakfasts.

It was just an ordinary winter morning.

But in this laboratory of just over 30 square meters, some things are undergoing fundamental changes.

"Engineer Gu," he said without turning around, "if we were to design a continuous production plating bath based on this process, how confident would we be in the technicalities?"

Gu Qiushi pondered for a moment: "The core principle is sound. But after scaling up, the electrolyte circulation uniformity, temperature control accuracy, current density distribution... these are all new problems. Specialized simulations and step-by-step scale-up experiments are needed."

"Approximately how long will it take?"

"If the equipment and personnel are in place, we should be able to produce the first pilot-scale machine within three months. However, it will take at least six months to operate stably."

Jiang Haoran turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the lab—the fine lines around Professor Sun's eyes, Gu Qiushi's slightly tired but focused expression, and the reagent stains on the hands of the two graduate students.

"Then let's start preparing for scale-up," he said. "Gu, you'll take the lead on the equipment plan and budget. Professor Sun, we need the lab to continue providing small-scale test data to support the scale-up probability of the process parameters."

Sun Zhigang nodded: "No problem. However..." He paused, "The investment for pilot testing is considerable. Your company's funds..."

"I'll take care of the funding," Jiang Haoran said decisively. "I will ensure that the special funds for the pilot production line are in place within this month."

He did not say where the money came from, but his personal account had ample funds. Meanwhile, Jiutian Investment had recently made good profits in the futures market, and its operations in rebar and coking coal were nearing completion.

Profits should be used where they are most needed.

Gu Qiushi rubbed his hands together, his eyes brightening slightly: "With funding secured, the progress can be accelerated. I'll go to Wuxi next week to look at some used equipment. Some of the plating tanks can be modified and used, which will save a lot of money."

"Save where you should save, and spend where you should spend," Jiang Haoran said. "The precision and stability of the equipment are paramount."

Sun Zhigang checked the time: "It's almost eight o'clock. Have you guys had breakfast yet?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Let's go, let's grab something to eat at the cafeteria." The old professor took off his white coat. "Even doing scientific research requires eating. If your health collapses, you'll lose everything."

As the group stepped out of the laboratory building, a blast of cold air hit them.

Jiang Haoran pulled his coat tighter and followed behind Sun Zhigang. Professor Sun's hair was a little gray, but his steps were still steady.

There weren't many people in the cafeteria. They found a table by the window and bought porridge and steamed buns.

Only after eating hot food did the fatigue in my body ease slightly.