Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 90: New Material That Baffled the Research Institute (Bonus Chapter)

In Conference Room No. 3.

More than a dozen experts and researchers, whose mere presence in the domestic official materials field could cause a stir, were already sitting upright in solemn silence.

They looked at Feng Zhiqiang as he walked in, and behind him, Qian Jin, who looked younger than their students and appeared travel-worn, with a hint of inquiry and doubt in their eyes.

Qian Jin's gaze swept over these scholars with gray hair and eager eyes, and she vaguely recalled her days on the university campus before she was selected.

The sky was just as blue back then.

I wonder what kind of wonderful expressions these top minds, who have dedicated their lives to science, will have when they learn that they are about to study a metal from another world.

He gently placed the document box in the center of the conference table, making a soft "click" sound.

All eyes were instantly drawn to this.

Feng Zhiqiang cleared his throat, about to begin his introduction.

Qian Jin spoke first. He looked at Feng Zhiqiang, then at the assembled experts, and said in a hoarse voice, word by word:

"Director Feng, experts, before we begin, I have only one suggestion."

"Keep it a secret, keep it a secret, keep it a secret! What you saw today must not be leaked!"

After Feng Zhiqiang's brief introduction, Qian Jin took the PPT that had been hastily prepared during the smelting process the day before, inserted it into the institute's secure computer, entered the password, and a document immediately appeared.

Synthetic new silver —

Density: 2.8 g/cm³.

Hardness: Mohs hardness 7.5
Tensile strength: 1.2 GPa, with excellent ductility.

The crystal lattice structure naturally forms a quantum resonant cavity, with an absorption rate of >79% for electromagnetic waves.
When Qian Jin projected the data onto the screen, an eerie silence fell over the entire conference room.

You can hear the needle drop.

A dozen pairs of eyes stared intently at those few simple lines of parameters, as if trying to etch every single character into their brains.

"Synthetic new silver..."

An elderly professor with gray hair and reading glasses muttered to himself. He subconsciously pushed up his glasses and leaned forward, as if trying to get closer.

"Density 2.8, lighter than aluminum alloy! Hardness 7.5, on par with topaz! Is...is this still silver?"

The silence was broken, and the conference room instantly erupted into a frenzy, like boiling water.

"This is insane! Tensile strength of 1.2 GPa! What does that mean? Even the top-grade maraging steel only reaches this level, but its density is only a quarter of that of steel!"

"Old Li, look at this! A quantum resonant cavity naturally formed by a crystal lattice structure? What the hell is this? I've been studying crystallography my whole life, and I've never heard of anything like it!"

"An electromagnetic wave absorption rate greater than 79%... My God, if this were made into a stealth coating, no, there would be no need for a coating at all! This material itself is a top-tier wave-absorbing material!"

"High-pressure induced? No, this crystal structure doesn't seem to be produced by high-pressure energy. Could it be an isotopic variant resulting from some kind of particle bombardment?"

"Bullshit! Your isotope variants can change macroscopic physical properties to this extent?" A hot-tempered old expert stood up abruptly, pointing at the screen, his face flushed with excitement. "This is definitely catalysis! Some kind of catalytic reaction we've never imagined!"

The experts argued back and forth, some even taking out their pens and scribbling furiously in their notebooks, trying to build a theoretical model.

These figures, who are considered pillars of the Chinese materials science community, were like children seeing a novel toy for the first time, their eyes sparkling with a pure, fervent desire for the unknown.

Feng Zhiqiang did not participate in the discussion; his back was already leaning against the chair back, but his hands were tightly gripping the armrests.

His heart was pounding like a drum.

What stirred in my mind wasn't just a ripple, but a tsunami capable of overturning everything! Aerospace-grade aluminum alloy? Compared to this "synthetic new silver," it's practically a junior!
In his mind, a fighter jet gleaming with a silver-gray sheen had already materialized. The fuselage skin and stealth structure were seamlessly integrated, eliminating the need for meticulous maintenance of those delicate stealth coatings. Maintenance costs were drastically reduced, and combat readiness rates skyrocketed!
This is just the most basic application!
radar!

Feng Zhiqiang suddenly thought of his neighboring unit—the Radar Research Institute.

This material's excellent conductivity and absorption properties are practically tailor-made for next-generation radar. If it could be combined with gallium oxide, the fourth-generation semiconductor material they are currently working on…

What kind of monster would that give rise to?

Extremely low power consumption and off-the-charts sensitivity! While the scanning range may be limited, the detection accuracy and anti-interference capabilities will absolutely rise to an unbelievable level!

Feng Zhiqiang even had an impulse to pick up the secure phone right now and yell at his old neighbor next door to open his eyes to the world!
Just as the heat in the conference room was about to lift the roof off, Feng Zhiqiang slowly raised his hand.

The noise stopped abruptly.

Everyone looked at Feng Zhiqiang.

Feng Zhiqiang didn't look at anyone else; his gaze was gentle yet sharp, passing through the crowd and landing on the young man who had remained silent throughout.

He adjusted his glasses and asked in a questioning yet somewhat urgent tone, "Comrade Qian Jin, judging from the combination of the names, this... incredible material is a composite, right? Are you already in mass production?"

This problem is more fatal than all the previous debates.

Everyone held their breath once again.

They all understood that producing a few grams in a laboratory and industrial mass production are two completely different concepts.

If it cannot be mass-produced, then it is an extremely precious work of art.

But once it can be measured...

Then it will be a super magic weapon that changes the major equipment of a great power!

Upon hearing this question, Qian Jin suddenly recalled the conversation between Factory Director Lu Ming and Ke Cheng, and the words they had spoken to him.

"With such outdated production capacity, smelting 2000 tons a day wouldn't even cover the electricity costs."

Qian Jin was happy inside, but nodded while pretending to be expressionless.

"Mass production is possible, but the initial output and price are extremely high! So there can only be limited supply! The 52nd Institute is a national defense unit, and the higher authorities attach great importance to it, which is why everyone received 50 kilograms of synthetic new silver in the first batch."

Upon hearing this, Feng Zhiqiang smiled.

Some of the other senior researchers, who had dedicated their lives to the study of technology, couldn't help but shed tears.

The higher-ups haven't forgotten them!
Entrusting them with the most arduous and difficult tasks is a sign of our trust in them!

The young researcher's expression was complex, a mixture of pride, happiness, and the painful thought of having to work overtime in the future.

Before anyone could speak, Qian Jin waved his arm, signaling for silence: "Synthetic Silver is one of the new materials we brought in this time. Besides this, we have other new materials available for your research!"

After speaking, Qian Jin, without waiting for everyone to catch their breath, played the detailed performance parameters of the next material.

Fine gold —

Density: 22.4 g/cm³.

Hardness: 9.6.

Melting point: 1885℃.

Characteristics: The atomic lattice can absorb/reflect specific frequencies of electromagnetic waves and other energy in minute quantities; it is extremely corrosion-resistant and has high wear resistance...

(End of this chapter)