Chapter 244: The birth of the glass mirror

"His Royal Highness, it seems that this agriculture is still the foundation of the country. Cotton, rape, hemp, etc., are all the next step to promote the cultivation of the fief."
Xiao Ming had a headache for cotton, and Pang Yukun took the opportunity to say that he felt that during this period, Xiao Ming paid too much attention to the handicraft industry and ignored the fundamentals of agriculture.
"You are right, but the food is still insufficient now. It may be difficult for the people to grow these things. After all, they have to bear the risk that they will not be able to sell them at that time. Then, let the production corps carry out partial planting and wait for the food production. Stabilize before continuing to promote."
Xiao Ming said.
Pang Yukun nodded. During this time, he and Xiao Ming had been planning the agriculture and industry in the six states, and these were all planned.
"In addition, your Highness, what is this new commodity?"
At the last banquet, Xiao Ming threw out another bait, but because of the detailed problem, everyone ignored it, and now Pang Yukun mentioned it again.
"Mirror." Thinking of this new product, Xiao Ming laughed.
The copper mirrors currently used in Dayuguo are still very blurry, and the details on the face cannot be seen clearly.
The modern mirrors are glass mirrors, and the mirrors can clearly reflect people by plating aluminum behind the mirrors.
However, it is impossible for Xiao Ming to extract aluminum now, because the extraction of aluminum requires electrolysis, and the traditional silver mirror reaction requires nitric acid, ammonia, glucose and other things. He also cannot produce mirrors by electroless silver plating.
After all, some industrial products cannot be produced at all without electricity.
After thinking about it, he thinks that under the current conditions, only glass, tin foil, and mercury can be used to obtain a mirror.
"Mirrors? Bronze mirrors? There are so many in this great Yu country, the lower officials thought there was nothing novel," Pang Yukun said.
Xiao Ming shook his head and said, "This king is going to produce glass mirrors this time. After two days, this king will show them to you."
Li Kaiyuan looked excited. After waiting for so long, new products were finally available. He could already imagine that the merchants would fill up the Chamber of Commerce again.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smirk.
Seeing his wretched look, Xiao Ming reminded: "The task now is to purchase cotton. If the sailing of the king's fleet is delayed, it depends on how I can clean you up!"
Li Kaiyuan struck a spirit, "Yes, Your Highness, I'll do it now, but Your Highness, this mirror must be hurry up." After speaking, he laughed wryly.
"This king is going to the Bowen Academy to talk to Lu Tong about the silver mirror." As he said, Xiao Ming stood up.
After all, Xiao Ming and Li Kaiyuan left the Dudu's Mansion together, one went to the Chamber of Commerce and the other went to Bowen College.
When Pang Yukun mentioned the new product a few days ago, Xiao Ming talked to Lu Tong about preparing the mirror and asked him to prepare tin, mercury and other materials.
Although Xiao Ming did not find mineral deposits in the local area, tin is a very common metal in Dayu, and the alloy of copper and tin is bronze. This bronze has appeared in ancient times.
The same is true for mercury. In ancient times, mercury was a blind medicinal material. It is not difficult to obtain mercury. The preparation of mercury is also very simple. It is to heat cinnabar to obtain mercury and sulfur.
And things like cinnabar can often be seen in the alchemy recipes of Taoist priests, showing how common it is.
When he arrived at Bowen College, Xiao Ming went directly to the Chemistry Laboratory, while Lu Tong was waiting for Xiao Ming.
"Your Highness."
Seeing Xiao Ming coming, Lu Tong led a group of students to bow to Xiao Ming.
Xiao Ming nodded and asked, "How about? Are the materials ready?"
"It's all set," Lu Tong said.
Then he took Xiao Ming to see the mercury and tin in the glass container, and there was a pile of glass on the table in front.
Since the preparation of sulfuric acid, the students of the entire School of Chemistry have been producing granular gunpowder. Nowadays, the three acids and two bases, sulfuric acid, caustic soda, and soda ash, have all been prepared, except for nitric acid and hydrochloric acid.
However, the chemistry textbook Xiao Ming gave them already had a method for preparing nitric acid and hydrochloric acid. During this time, Lu Tong was preparing to take students from the School of Chemistry to try.
Among them, nitric acid is prepared by using high-temperature and high-temperature decomposition of saltpeter to obtain nitrogen dioxide into water, while hydrochloric acid is prepared by using concentrated sulfuric acid and table salt. Of course, this is only the chemical reaction formula they learned from chemistry textbooks and requires specific operations. Just work.
But looking at Xiao Ming's appearance, it seemed that he just wanted to give them the knowledge of chemistry, and let them study the rest.
After checking the materials, Xiao Ming said, "Go ahead, I said, you do."
Lu Tong nodded, now Xiao Ming faintly meant to let go of the shopkeeper, let them try everything by themselves.
In fact, Xiao Ming also knows what Lu Tong and others are thinking now, but there is no way. Knowledge is not stored in their heads, but used for practice. During this time, Xiao Ming has already given the chemical element symbols to Lu Tong. .
They are also clear about the periodic table of chemistry. His textbooks can be said to be written more carefully than junior high school chemistry textbooks. The above simple chemical reaction formulas have everything.
The rest of him can only rely on Lu Tong and others to implement chemical experiments in chemistry textbooks, so as to apply them to the chemical industry. Otherwise, what is the use of learning knowledge? Moreover, with the current level of science and technology in Da Yu, junior high school chemistry knowledge is more than sufficient, and advanced chemistry will involve electrolysis and the like.
Without electricity, learning is useless.
Taking a piece of glass, Lu Tong attached a piece of tin foil to the back of the glass. Because tin has a very low melting point, only more than 200 degrees Celsius, smelting tin foil is very simple, just heat it slightly.
Wrapped in the tin foil, Lu Tong took out the mercury and poured the mercury on the tin foil, spreading evenly.
At this time, mercury and tin foil have undergone a chemical reaction ~EbookFREE.me~ to become a silver-white liquid, this is tin amalgam, historical records, this kind of mercury and tin solution existed in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period And although mercury is toxic, amalgam alloys are non-toxic.
This silver-white liquid will adhere tightly to one side of the glass and will not fall off easily.
The steps of producing the mirror were completed one by one, and Xiao Ming and Lu Tong quietly waited for the moment when a miracle appeared.
After half an hour, when the metal solution was completely dry, Xiao Ming picked up the mirror. At this time, he could see himself in the mirror clearly.
A young, slightly handsome face, "Hey, it's been a year, it's the first time to see my face clearly."
Xiao Ming sighed with emotion.
At this time, the mirror in his hand was not much different from the modern mirror, but it was slightly dim. After all, the tin amalgam was still not as shiny as silver.
But even so, this mirror is probably amazing.
(To be continued.) Enable new URL