Chapter 270: The Monarchy of a New Era
Murdoch naturally chose to invest without hesitation, securing a five percent stake in the Gas Lamp Company with his distilled coal gas and the Gas Lamp patent still in his mind.
Five percent might not sound like much, but calculating it against a three million livres investment, it amounted to a substantial 150,000 livres!
This didn't even account for future dividends or the continued rise in stock value as the company grew.
Joseph then elaborated on his plans for Gas Streetlights to Murdoch, who promptly suggested, "Your Highness, if you wish to ensure the absolute safety of the gas pipelines, I recommend using gun barrels as conduits."
Hearing this, Joseph vaguely recalled a documentary from his past life that mentioned Murdoch had indeed used gun barrels as gas conduits for the Gas Streetlights he developed for London.
'Perhaps this is just the inevitability of history,' he mused.
He nodded. "A large number of old muskets will be retired soon. We can use those barrels."
With the new percussion cap muskets being fielded, the decommissioned flintlock muskets could be perfectly repurposed.
By the time he finished discussing the Gas Lamps with Murdoch, it was already three in the afternoon.
Standing by the window, he watched Murdoch's receding figure, sighing inwardly, 'If only I had more talents like him...'
A thought sparked in his mind: 'That's right, talent can be recruited. Wasn't Murdoch brought over from Britain?'
'Why not launch a national "Talent Acquisition Program"?'
France could actively scout in various countries. Anyone with genuine skill could come to France to develop their careers, with the government funding their ventures. They would also receive bonuses, housing, and even assistance with marriage — finding a suitable partner through official channels was far easier in this era than it would be in the future.
And to marry a fashionable, elegant Frenchwoman! For talented individuals from countries like Germany and Russia, this would be an absolutely irresistible temptation.
The more Joseph considered it, the more feasible it seemed. He immediately pushed aside thoughts of dinner, grabbed paper and pen, and began planning. 'Hmm, we could also grant outstanding talents noble titles.
'Oh, and we should create our own version of the Nobel Prize. That would be even more appealing to talent... Of course, the name would need changing. Let's call it the "Louis Prize."
'The Louis Prize in Physics, the Louis Prize in Chemistry... and we absolutely cannot forget mathematics this time! There must be a Louis Prize in Mathematics!
'In the future, France is bound to gradually replace Britain as Europe's new academic hub!
'If we make the Louis Prize ceremony grand enough, it could even boost tourism and generate more income. Who knows, we might even turn a profit after handing out the prize money...'
Early the next morning, the owners of the various ironworks in the development zone, accompanied by their own technicians, arrived at Joseph's residence as arranged.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Joseph invited everyone to sit and got straight to the point. "I have a technology here that I believe will interest you all."
He glanced towards the distant steelmaking blast furnaces. "I can increase the temperature of a blast furnace by 200 to 300 degrees Celsius, and this improvement can be applied to existing furnaces without needing to construct new ones."
The knowledgeable factory owners' eyes widened instantly at his words, while those less familiar with the subject quickly whispered to the technicians beside them, "What does that mean?"
"Sir, forget 200 degrees; even a 100-degree increase would be absolutely incredible!"
"?!"
"You see, it's very difficult for a blast furnace to reach 1200 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the iron within the ore doesn't completely melt; instead, it becomes a somewhat viscous fluid that flows out from the bottom of the furnace."
The melting point of pure iron is above 1500 degrees Celsius, but due to small amounts of other metals mixed in the iron ore, its melting point drops to around 1200 degrees Celsius.
"However, this viscous molten iron contains many impurities, making it very brittle or prone to cracking once solidified. That's why crude iron needs to be further refined in a reverberatory furnace. The temperature inside a reverberatory furnace is extremely high, reaching over 1500 degrees Celsius, which can burn off impurities in the molten iron. Furthermore, in the fully liquefied iron within the reverberatory furnace, we can add carbon to adjust its hardness or introduce additives to further remove impurities. Only then can the refined steel become strong and durable."
This was the crucial difference between iron smelting and steelmaking.
While both iron and steel are primarily composed of the element Fe, the former contains impurities like silicon and sulfur, making it neither tough nor durable. Only after removing these impurities and adding an appropriate amount of carbon can it be called steel. Whether it's high-quality agricultural tools, swords, or springs, all must be made from steel.
Last year, France's annual pig iron output was 120,000 tons, while steel production was a mere five to six thousand tons.
The factory owners, all astute businessmen, largely understood by this point: if the temperature of the iron smelting blast furnaces could be raised by over 200 degrees Celsius, reaching 1400 degrees Celsius, many processes typically reserved for steelmaking could be accomplished directly within the iron smelting furnace.
For applications with lower requirements, the high-quality iron produced directly from the blast furnace would even suffice.
'This would undoubtedly boost my factory's efficiency significantly!' they thought.
Seeing all the factory owners gazing at him with burning anticipation, Joseph continued, "I believe you all understand the significance of a 200-degree increase.
"Raising the furnace temperature allows for faster iron extraction from the ore, drastically increasing daily iron output. Furthermore, high temperatures cause much of the silicon mixed in the iron to oxidize within the blast furnace..."
Unsure if his audience fully grasped the concept of silicon oxidation, he summarized, "In short, it means improving the quality of the iron ingots and significantly reducing the time required for subsequent steelmaking."
Viscount Olivier finally succumbed to the temptation and cautiously inquired, "Your esteemed Highness, could you tell us how we might acquire this technology?"
Joseph smiled faintly. "In fact, I intend to establish a 'French Iron and Steel Technology Association.' Members of the association will have access to all technologies belonging to it, such as the blast furnace heating technology. Moreover, the association will organize its members to research new technologies and improve everyone's production processes."
The factory owners remained silent, for they all knew that such a beneficial offer would surely come with numerous restrictions.
Joseph surveyed the group and continued, "Oh, the association will also coordinate its members in certain areas, such as sales restrictions on steel output and product quality assessments. Of course, if you don't use the association's technology, you naturally won't be bound by these restrictions."
He then explained what these restrictions and assessments entailed.
Simply put, if you utilized the Steel Technology Association's technology, then the steel you produced could only be sold to buyers approved by the association. Orders marked as prohibited would be absolutely off-limits.
As for quality assessment, the association would inspect your products and publish their grade.
The steel industry was the backbone of the Industrial Revolution; by controlling steel, one could largely regulate the production of most enterprises.
As long as he managed the association, he would effectively control the capitalists and, at the same time, hold the power to distribute the profits.
Comments