94: From Technological Warfare to Space Empire

"Xiaoyu, you can't be lying about that."

"Can it really reach the strength of JP-10!?"

Lin Yu didn't speak, but simply wrote out a series of chemical formulas.

This reaction produces the trans isomer.

Lin Yu drew a long straight chain on the blackboard.

The structure of a molecule can be used to deduce its properties.

All properties are determined by three fundamental things.

Molecular weight, intermolecular forces, and molecular shape.

The flash point of a fuel, also known as its ignition point.

Basically, the shorter the carbon chain, the lower the flash point and the more flammable it is.

The more branches a chain has, the lower its flash point compared to a straight chain.

More cyclization results in a significantly higher flash point.

If it is a double-ring or cage-like structure, the flash point will be significantly increased, making it safer and more stable.

If it contains oxygen-containing functional groups, such as -OH, -O-, or furan rings.

The flash point will also increase.

Therefore, furanyl bicycloalkanes are basically the safest type with the highest flash point.

The professors all understand these things.

Seeing this, they finally understood what was going on.

The most important factor in calculating fuel is its volumetric energy density/calorific value.

We need to compare the hydrogen/carbon ratio in the compounds.

The higher this ratio, the fewer oxygens and the more rings, the higher the energy density.

Bicyclic alkanes, bridged cycloalkanes, and cage-like alkanes have almost reached their peak.

As the writing progressed, several professors frantically flipped through their books.

The two academicians also frowned and pondered deeply.

They weren't all experts in petrochemicals; they just had some background knowledge in related fields.

At this moment, Chief Engineer Chen couldn't help but speak to Commander Hou:

"Commander, Comrade Lin, this thing is far too advanced."

"I didn't bring the reference book on the Group Contribution Law with me this time."

"Could you ask a guard to fetch one?"

The so-called group contribution method involves breaking down organic compounds into individual groups, then looking up tables and summing them to calculate their boiling point, critical parameters, heat of combustion, and so on.

Without relying on this foreign-prepared reference data table, his study time is truly far from keeping up with Lin Yu's train of thought.

Hearing Chief Engineer Chen say this, the other senior experts finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Chief Hou looked at Lin Yu, and Lin Yu nodded.

He then called a soldier to go to the place Chief Engineer Chen had mentioned to retrieve the book.

After he finished speaking, Lin Yu continued writing with his chalk.

"While we're waiting for the reference books to arrive, let's not stop. There's actually a third direction."

"There is a third direction for HMF to produce high-energy fuels."

"The third direction is... conjugal connection!"

"HMF and lignin derivatives, which are the parts of straw other than cellulose, will undergo a C-C coupling reaction under alkaline conditions to yield a diepoxyphenyl precursor."

"If you add hydrogen and deoxygenate to this, you can get dicyclohexylalkanes."

"This is one of the furanyl bicycloalkanes I just mentioned."

Lin Yu drew a complex molecular structure on the blackboard, with rings connected to rings, exquisite and beautiful.

"Its carbon number is 12 to 18, which falls right within the distillation range of aviation kerosene."

"Its density is 0.94 grams per cubic centimeter, which is 5% higher than that of JP-10."

"It has a volumetric calorific value of 39.5 megajoules per liter, which is 20% higher than that of ordinary aviation kerosene."

"It has excellent low-temperature performance, still flowing at -60 degrees Celsius, and excellent high-temperature stability, not decomposing at 500 degrees Celsius."

"In layman's terms, with the same volume of fuel tank and this amount of fuel, an aircraft can fly 20% longer. With the same weight of payload, a missile can travel 30% further."

"Moreover, the raw materials are corn cobs and straw, which are agricultural and forestry wastes. Producing it does not compete with people for food or land."

"The cost may be higher at the beginning, but after large-scale production, it should be able to be controlled at 2 to 3 times that of ordinary aviation kerosene."

"A 20% performance improvement at only 3 times the cost—I think everyone here can do the math."

He put down the chalk and turned to face the completely stunned crowd.

It's one thing to mention one fuel that's better than the JP-10, but you actually have another one?

Moreover, such things can be synthesized from different directions.

They were given ample opportunity to choose...

Are they really not dreaming?

With this, it's like going from slingshot to cannon!

The flight range of fighter jets has increased significantly.

The missile range has been increased significantly!

This concludes Lin Yu's speech.

At that moment, the conference room was so quiet that the ticking of the second hand on the wall clock could be heard.

Everyone reacted in different ways.

Commander Li opened his mouth, then closed it again; he opened his mouth again, then closed it again, repeating this cycle more than ten times. He simply couldn't make a sound.

His mind was blank, with only one thought echoing repeatedly:

Corn on the cob... corn on the cob...

They can produce fuel even more powerful than the JP-10…

JP-10…JP-10…

That's the special fuel used by the US Navy to launch cruise missiles; you can count the number of countries in the world that can produce it reliably on one hand.

China spends a lot of money but can't get it in, and still has to be beholden to other countries.

Now Lin Yu is telling him that he can make it with corn on the cob?

And it has even stronger performance?

Chief Engineer Chen finally couldn't hold back any longer and suddenly stood up, almost tipping his chair over.

"Director Lin! You... what you're saying, is there any theoretical basis for it?"

Lin Yu nodded, took out a stack of handwritten manuscripts from his briefcase, and handed them over.

"This is the catalytic pathway from HMF to DMF, using a nickel-based catalyst, hydrogenation at atmospheric pressure, with a conversion rate of 98% and a selectivity of over 95%."

"This is the oxidation pathway from HMF to FDCA, catalyzed by manganese cobalt oxides, with a yield of over 98%."

"This is the complete process flow for the HMF coupling preparation of bicycloalkanes, including the reaction conditions, catalyst selection, and separation methods for each step."

Chief Engineer Chen took the stack of manuscript papers with both hands, his hands trembling violently.

He put on his reading glasses, flipped through a few pages, and his breathing became rapid.

The sound of panting could be heard incessantly.

He turned a few more pages, his face flushing red.

When he turned to the last page, he suddenly took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes hard, then put them back on and read it again.

Finally, he raised his head and looked at Lin Yu as if he were looking at a monster.

Organic chemistry is not studied in this way.

You have to go through a lot of trouble to find out what the compound looks like.

Then, despite the various risks, we tested its properties with various reagents.

You can't draw a structure and say that it exists naturally or can be artificially synthesized.

Even if you find out its properties, you still need to experiment with various catalysts to find out under what conditions it will react.

But now... but now...

"This...this..."

He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

These processes are so complete that they don't seem like theoretical derivations, but rather like an operation manual for a completed factory.

Every step is written out clearly, and every parameter is clearly labeled.

He had worked in the petrochemical industry for thirty years and had never seen anyone conduct research like this before.

How did they manage to do that?

How could you possibly come up with a whole series of reactions just by thinking about it?

But Academician Wang, standing to the side, looked at Lin Yu with an even more peculiar gaze.

He came here today to investigate the methodology Lin Yu used to determine that titanium could be extracted from steel slag and actinide metals could be used to make solar cells, based on extra-circular electrons.