In the past, the steel mills’ R&D groups were in charge of the design and production, establishing a closed loop. With the developnt of technology and advancents in science, gradually many R&D tasks began being conducted by external organizations. The R&D departnts at the steel mills started to feel like a dispensable extra, seemingly useful but not crucially important.
The awkward position of the steel mill R&D groups is not closely related to the average scientific researchers, but they still hoped to achieve results rather than relying entirely on the achievents of external institutions.
Now the opportunity had co.
Although everyone knew that the suggestions for the manufacturing process ca from Zhao Yi, the R&D group needed to design and validate these suggestions, allowing them to share a part of the credit for the results as contributors along the way.
Moreover, there was the emotional factor.
The K03A nickel-iron alloy was a result of Factory 307, and even if it were from more than a decade ago, several in the R&D group had participated in the research project. They hoped that the K03A would be used in dostic aviation engines and not replaced by the alloys developed by other institutions. Otherwise, the K03A would lose its reason for existence.
Who would want their achievents to beco aningless?
...
Academician Peng Engui from the Science Academy’s Institute of tals, felt completely opposite about improving the K03A nickel-iron alloy’s performance; deep down, he even hoped that the K03A’s performance wouldn’t improve at all.
Peng Engui was one of the big nas in dostic military alloy materials. His research group had many achievents, but very few were widely used, and the ones with high value could be counted on one hand.
Though not outstanding in terms of achievents, Peng Engui’s experience and ability were well recognized, and he had even secured the Single-Crystal Nickel Alloy project.
This was a national key alloy project.
When it ca to a key military-industrial project, funding was not an issue at all.
Since securing the turbine blade single-crystal nickel alloy project, Peng Engui’s research group could easily apply for funding. The state provided continuous support, hoping for quick results that would grant the nation the capability to manufacture high-end turbine blades.
In the research of alloy materials, burning money is very important.
With the continuous financial support, Peng Engui’s research group indeed made several achievents, surpassing the Capital Aviation Material Research Institute. They designed the DD5 and other valuable single-crystal nickel alloys, and seed ever closer to creating an alloy better than the K03A.
This was an ’important goal’: to produce a single-crystal nickel alloy superior to K03A that could be used in dostic aviation engines. That is to say, the research had practical application; manufacturing turbine blades for dostic aviation engines was a significant contribution, which might even lead to major national scientific awards.
Peng Engui was very much looking forward to it.
But then...
"The K03A has perfected its manufacturing process and its performance has improved? The lting point increased by a hundred degrees? And its strength too?"
"What international joke is this!"
Peng Engui said, gritting his teeth. He had never imagined that the performance of K03A could be improved. An increase in the lting point by a hundred degrees was terrifying. The DD5 was already behind K03A, and with a hundred-degree difference in lting points, to surpass K03A would an approaching an international standard, right?
High-end engines imported from Country E have alloy materials for turbine blades with lting points around 1400 degrees Celsius.
Yet, the K03A had reached 1350 degrees Celsius!
Peng Engui couldn’t help but smack his forehead with his fist. He had thought that with the next result, he might develop a single-crystal nickel alloy that surpassed K03A. With direct results, more funding would surely be allocated, and his group could begin to investigate the addition of rare tals to the alloy—
Rhenium!
This was the cutting-edge of research!
Without sufficient foundational results, researching the addition of rare tals was aningless, as it wouldn’t leverage the effect of the rare tals, and the higher-ups were unlikely to support it.
Now everything had beco very distant; they couldn’t possibly develop a single-crystal nickel alloy that replaced K03A any ti soon. Lacking results ant they wouldn’t get support. With many potential materials for engine turbine blades, even the funding for subsequent research could beco uncertain.
Peng Engui felt extrely frustrated and simply stood up to go to the small laboratory next door.
As he reached the door of the laboratory, he saw Li Rongmao eating from a al box and imdiately scolded him without good temper, "Xiao Li, still eating? So slow! I saw you head off just now."
Li Rongmao hurriedly explained, "No, Academician Peng, I was organizing data just now and only just began to eat!"
"Eat, eat, eat, that’s all you know!"
Peng Engui continued to scold, "Have you finished the experint analysis yet? Why aren’t you speeding up? Our research has been surpassed."
"No way?"
Li Rongmao was about to argue back because he felt that nickel-iron alloys and single-crystal nickel alloys were not in the sa category, and their competitor should be the Capital Aviation Material Research Institute. But noticing Peng Engui’s dark expression, he stopped talking, set aside his food, and focused on organizing the materials.
Peng Engui huffed irritably and turned to leave the lab. It was only when he had seen Li Rongmao eating that he rembered he hadn’t had lunch himself, and his stomach growled with hunger.
"I’ll go to that Northeastern restaurant outside..." he thought, and quickly exited.
In the laboratory.
Li Rongmao sighed with relief and felt very depressed inside. He had graduated from Hong Kong University and spent four years on his Ph.D. under Peng Engui, making many contributions to their research.
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