readx;? When diaspore reaches gem quality, it will refract brilliant light due to the extremely high fire, and has a strong pleochroism, unlike other color-changing gemstones that change from one monochromatic color to another, it can refract a variety of colors at the same time, the most notable is the mixture of red and green, and it is no wonder that it is named colorful by the locals. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info I didn't remember it when I heard Barov's introduction before, but the moment I saw it with my own eyes, Roland immediately thought of this kind of stone.

In addition, when diaspore loses water, it will be transformed into corundum...... The gem quality of corundum is the famous rubies and sapphires. Compared to the former, the latter has a more prominent reputation.

But it's not the gems themselves that excite him.

"What about the debris from the mine?" said the prince after a long time, closing the wooden box, and asked excitedly.

"You mean...... Gravel dug up during the tunnel?"

"That's right, it's not just stones, it's mud, how do you dispose of all this waste?"

"After it was shipped out, it was all piled up at the foot of the mountain," Denver did not seem to understand the meaning of the prince's inquiry, "Your Highness, please rest assured, these ores have been carefully screened, either of poor quality, or they have been broken in the process of mining and can no longer be polished into gemstones." For the screening process, the most experienced veteran in the family is in charge, and there is no possibility of omission. ”

"You're wrong," Roland smiled and shook his head, "those things...... Probably the real treasure. ”

"What?" Denver froze, and the others looked surprised, as if they couldn't connect mud with treasure.

But he can't explain this matter, because in this era, even steelmaking is enough, let alone refining elemental aluminum.

The main component of diaspore is alumina, and as a by-product of bauxite, its discovery most likely means that the aluminium is rich here, and both soil and rock can be used as raw materials for aluminum. As the most abundant metal element in the earth, aluminium has higher reserves than iron and is almost ubiquitous. In other words, Lucia can decompose trace amounts of aluminium by digging a stone out of the ground, but it is not cost-effective to use it for industrial refining, so it is only valuable to mine where aluminium is abundant.

Take this cave in front of you, for example.

Roland called Pero aside and asked in a low voice, "How has the Kelian family managed the gem mine for the past two hundred years?" I mean...... How do the previous leaders pay them?"

"I have found out from the account books left by Osmond Lane that the method of payment is very simple, that is, the Corian family can choose a box of secondary gems from the collected gems as a reward every year, and the way of weighing wheat is basically the same. "The box is about the length and width of a palm, and the depth is half a palm, as long as the lid can be closed, you can put as many pieces as you want." Of course, the rarest gems must be surrendered to the lord. ”

"In other words, the two family collections he just gave me aren't the best?"

"He's not going to lie to you about the texture alone, but you know that bigger and more expensive gems are always the better. ”

"You've received his gifts, haven't you?" Roland looked at Honeysuckle's eldest son with interest.

"Uh......" replied the latter, with some embarrassment, "yes, Your Highness, I will hand over the jewel to you when I get back." ”

"Keep it, I don't care about that," said the prince disapprovingly, "I'm just curious, who will guarantee the authenticity of this reward? What if the family secretly takes more in the process of mining? This kind of thing can't be found out at all except to turn the mansion upside down, right?"

"Every batch of ore will be supervised when it is transported out of the cave and screened, and even if the Ke Lian family steals it, it will not be too obvious This is a relationship of mutual checks and balances, they are afraid of being discovered by the lord and severely punished, and the lord can't find so many people who know everything about the mine," Pei Luo paused, "Besides, even if they are replaced by their own people, who can guarantee that they will not steal it?"

"I see," Roland nodded, "then go ahead with the rules." However, in addition to the multicolored stones, I also want the gravel and mud that have been dug up, and I will formulate a preliminary collection plan for you after I go back, and implement it according to the above requirements first. ”

"Your Highness, these mud ...... Is it really more precious than a gemstone?"

"It depends on whose hands it is. The prince replied.

What is aluminum? Its uses are innumerable, and its low density and corrosion resistance alone support half of the sky of industrial production, and it is an indispensable key material for aviation technology. It is true that smelting aluminium is a troublesome job, and the amount of electricity required for electrolysis equipment is also astronomical for Neverwinter, but with Lucia, there is always a batch to be accumulated. At that time, there will be hope for some weapons and equipment that are no less than miracles in this era, such as large airships.

Roland had planned to focus on two iron ore mines, but it seems that his plans are now going to be slightly adjusted.

......

After inspecting the two remaining mines and a salt well, it was already completely dark when we returned to the castle.

After dinner, Roland couldn't wait to pull out his pen and paper and start planning the use of new resources.

The first is the steam engine.

Whether it's mine drainage, hauling or brine pumping from salt wells, the steam engine doubles the efficiency. Now that the Maple Leaf and Wild Rose families are gone, he plans to draw a group of skilled workers from the North Slope Mine and recruit a large number of hired workers in the Changge District, so that the two new iron mines can be put into operation first, and the ore can be hauled back to the border area for smelting. The gem mine needs to wait for Lucia to rush to Changge to test the aluminum content in each tunnel before arranging the next mining direction.

Another focus is on salt wells.

Similar to the situation expected by Roland, in addition to using the steam engine to pump water to increase production, if he wants to obtain snow-white refined salt, the remaining work is to remove impurities. Considering the complexity of the geological composition, he decided to take a tube of brine from each well and bring it back to the border area, and hand it over to the chief alchemist, Kemo Stell, to study the specific steps of removing impurities, and then set up a factory on the spot to produce salt on a large scale.

Of course, the salt industry, like grain, should also be monopolized by the town hall. The salt wells of the Elk and Honeysuckle families have access to the technical support provided by Neverwinter, but the refined salt produced must be sold to the town hall at the prescribed market price, and cannot be sold to other places for profit. If a large amount of refined salt can be obtained at a low price, it will undoubtedly open up a new trade route for Neverwinter.

Roland hoped that all this would be brought into place after the fall of the Tifeco regime. (To be continued.) )