However, it is quite rare for the black water to converge into the "underground Styx" like in the extreme south. According to Iron Axe's report, from the chokehold swamp to the endless cape, the viscosity of the Styx continues to decrease, and the concentration of death fog also getting thinner. Among them, the Black Water Valley is the intersection of several Styx rivers. Standing high in the valley, you can even hear the dull roar of the black water hitting your feet.
Roland speculates that the subterranean Styx is constantly changing its composition during the flow. For example, the death fog described in the report is likely to be a poisonous gas volatilized from the black water itself, or a reaction with certain substances in the underground. result. This may explain why, under the evolution of hundreds of years, the Blackwater Valley has not been turned into a huge brazier due to lightning or arson, and there are rumors that the Choking Swamp will die if you enter it.
The dead fog covering the Styx could not help blocking the sand people's footsteps, and also cut off the air, so that the black water could flow steadily southward. Arriving in the cape area, the underground river disappeared, and only a small part of it spewed out of the surface due to the action of pressure. At this time, the black water has no suffocating death fog, which is suitable for mining.
Faced with such a strange crude oil, Roland didn't know how many kinds of oil it could decompose, so he could only ask the chief alchemist to test it first, and then make his next plan after getting the result.
Looking at the isolated samples today, the results are quite encouraging.
"Black water can indeed be used to make terrifying weapons, but its uses are much more than that," Roland answered Kemo's question, picked up the glass and looked at it carefully, "Just because of its high calorific value, There are plenty of articles to do, and you'll find out later."
For this straight-headed chief alchemist, hanging him with unknown new things is the best way to drive him.
Seeing the other party's dissatisfied appearance, he smiled secretly, "Let's talk about the experiment, if you really want to use black water, you can't just rely on a few retorts and condenser tubes. Just like the production of diacid, you We have to figure out a way to mass-produce it.”
The principle of oil separation is very simple. It can be regarded as the most basic chemical knowledge. The oil is converted into steam by heating, and then introduced into the fractionation tower. The different boiling points of various oils in the mixed liquid are used to condense them in turn, thereby obtaining gasoline and kerosene. , diesel, heavy oil and other finished products. This process is entirely physical, so it is easy to do under experimental conditions.
Although the subsequent refining technologies have become more and more diverse, and the utilization efficiency of crude oil has also increased significantly, the most classical distillation separation method can still work, and it is naturally the first choice without paying attention to production costs.
It's just that once any process is scaled up, its complexity will increase exponentially. If you want to carry out industrial fractionation, there are bound to be a lot more places to consider. For this, Kemer Strayer should have a deep understanding.
The old alchemist stroked his beard, "Well... I have to think about what you said for a few more days. Besides, I need the help of the Witch Union."
It was a good sign that Roland started to take the initiative to use the power of witches to conduct scientific research experiments. Roland nodded, "If you have any requirements, send someone to tell me, and I will arrange it."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Kaimo rolled his eyes. "Besides, I have a small request."
"Oh? You said."
"Can you let me watch it when you use them to make new things?" There was uncontrollable curiosity in his tone.
In theory, for the sake of secrecy, the request was out of bounds, just as the engineers responsible for refining uranium ore wanted to know about the entire Manhattan Project. However, Roland agreed with him after thinking for a while. After all, this would improve his enthusiasm for work, and at the same time, there was no opponent that could compete with Neverwinter in terms of technology.
"Then you have to work hard," he pointed to the cups of fractionated liquid. "The sooner you produce them, the sooner you'll know the answer."
"Wait... Do you need all of these?" Kaimo said in surprise, "Although they can all be used for burning, the black water from the lower fractional distillation may not be as good as snow powder. Going to turn on the lights is choking."
This guy is probably still thinking about the explosives, and treats the inactive oil and residue as waste. Roland thought, it is true that the light oil in the upper layer burns more violently, but it is much more difficult to use in practice. The lack of additives Under certain circumstances, a slight accident will cause an explosion accident, which is not a goal that can be achieved in a short time. Instead, he favors diesel and heavy oil in the lower tier.
Not to mention the former. Excellent internal combustion engine fuel can be used even if the process is not in place and mixed with impurities. At most, it will emit black smoke and pollute the environment.
Heavy oil is of great significance to navigation and is the first choice for steam ships. After all, the efficiency of burning coal is too low. It is not a problem to run in the river, but it is not enough to put it in the sea. It is quite difficult to run from the fjord to the western shoal. This is also one of the reasons why Roland established Daqing Port in Endless Cape: to provide supplies for steam ships on the route. As for crossing the sea line and entering the depths of the ocean, you must burn oil.
It is also the one with the lowest requirements for secondary treatment. It can be used almost when it is separated. It does not matter if it is mixed with asphalt residue. It is the least important fuel in the oil family.
Of course, Roland wouldn't tell Kaimo this in advance. Before he made a finished product, he wasn't sure if he could do it or not. If he said something serious and found out that the result was not the same, it would damage his omniscience. image. So he just shrugged, "All the oil, including the oil residue and debris left at the bottom, should be sorted and collected. I keep it for my own use."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the chief alchemist said while rubbing his chest.
"By the way," Roland stopped again when he walked to the door of the laboratory, turned around and said, "Let's do a tutoring class."
"What?" Kaimo was stunned.
"When I held the last agricultural conference, didn't I say that an agronomy course should be set up in the secondary education curriculum, so that even if the Golden No. 2 is promoted to the whole country, there will be enough manpower to implement it." Roland explained, "The same, Opening a new factory also requires more skilled people and general education. After graduation, there are still many people who want to join the chemical industry, so focus on training first, so as not to rush into the factory and cause accidents."
This approach is equivalent to dividing the majors after entering the university and starting them in middle school in advance. He has long considered that if there is no time to cultivate all-rounders, the training of professional workers should be carried out as soon as possible.
"Your Majesty, shouldn't this... Master Scroll be in charge?"
"She is responsible for recruiting, assigning classes, assessing, and paying salaries, but the instructor must be from the Ministry of Chemical Industry, that is, you."
Kaimo breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that as long as he was not allowed to give lectures, he had already exhausted his brains to recruit a group of alchemy apprentices in exchange for "Medium Chemistry" from Roland, which was already his limit. "I see, Your Majesty. I think those alchemists from the capital are very good. They used to be good at speaking and making public appearances. What do you think?"