Summoner is Going c239.3
As expected, that is impossible…?
To be honest, I’m not satisfied.
But there was no help it there isn’t it?
There was no point in trying to find something that does not exist.
We should manage with the materials we have here.
「I have some free time until this evening. So, I will help you. Besides, I feel interested in this as well…」
「「Thank you very much!」」
I was surprised when they replied in sync!
When I helped filtering the rubber latex, Muto-kun asked a question.
Well, I has expected this.
After all, he is a merchant.
「I wonder, is it even possible to make a tire?」
「Ah, you are still aiming that after all.」
Well, I do feel interested in that as well.
However, it takes time to explain.
The problem is that what inside my mind is a hybrid product made out of various materials that looks like a tire.
And it is very difficult to produce.
Maybe, it is possible to reproduce a substitute? Or rather, maybe we can create the early days of tire?
「Since it will take a lot longer? Maybe we should try it later?」
「I understand.」
Tires?
A tire is composed of various materials.
Yes, it does looks like a lump of rubber, but generally it was actually made out of composite materials.
And the materials has a lot of characteristic, and the advantages of each material could be greatly utilized by combining them.
That is also to make up for the weakness of the materials.
Even carbon fiber could be cut by human hands without tools.
Carbon fiber, which has extremely strong tensile strength could be easily cut by human hands by forming a knot and pulling it.
It was extremely weak when it comes to sheer stress.
Such weakness was handled by stacking the carbon fiber into multi-layered and hardened with resin.
All you have to do is to supplement each other weakness.
Something came down to me.
Now, is there any alternative we could make using the materials on hand?
「To solidified the sap, we need acid to be added. And if we could make it out of alkaline, it would have some preservation as well…」
「Yes.」
「It is better if we dry the raw rubber sheet as soon as possible. The standard time is taking around 1 week.」
「I understand.」
Resin is the natural rubber hardener.
At the beginning it has the color of white.
But as it dries, the color of the rubber band would change.
It would turn dark brown overtime.
This natural rubber has several strength and weakness.
What is the strength you ask?
Elastically it was very high, it has also strong mechanical strength, flexibility was good too.
The prices are lower as well.
So, what is the weakness then?
The weakness would be heat resistance, oil resistance, weeather resistance, and ozone-related resistance are very weak.
Deterioration could happen easily on the surface.
That was why, old rubber band could easily fall apart.
For the time being, we need a way to make the shape, I wish we have some wax.
Wait, wax?
Can we use beeswax?
Well, we might as well added that to the list of test.
Next is weight.
What is the recipe?
Formula that is suitable.
But then, still better than none…
1 kg of raw rubber.
I wonder if Sakura-san could make that much using her pharmacy?
I thought about such a thing but I was not worried.
It seems since the job is a higher rank than alchemist, she has new production skills.
Weight measurement.
I want that too.
Black carbon can be obtained by burning candles.
We need around 150 grams.
That much should be appropriate.
This black carbon, the grain particle is very small in size.
I’m a bit worried if we could evenly dispersed it by kneading.
Well, we can try it.
And sulfur.
It can be obtained in volcanic area.
Well then.
In the real worlds, those were made using hydrogen sulfide, a by-product of oil refining.
Not impossible to be honest.
This time around, the amount of sulfur that we added will be crucial.
The quality of sulfur that we could get will never be constant but, I should not worry about that.
First of all, we have to decide the compounding ratio of sulfur as vulcanizing agent.
The amount of sulfur 20 grams, 40 grams, 60 grams, 80 grams, 100 grams under 5 different condition.
This is the firs one, so it was appropriate.
Next mixing and kneading.
Roll mixing?
No matter how you look at it, that is a large pasta machine.
「This, did you go all the way making this?」
「This work, I have confident in it.」
Kawano-kun, you are such a overbearing!
As expected, banbury mixer is impossible.
It seems to be the processing accuracy that he was proud of.
However.
What does it mean that it need human power?
Kawano-kun, you are sweating bullets you know?
I called Helix and Jericho.
They both seems to have an endless stamina after all…
Now then…
It is time to knead.
What does knead means?
It is a work kneading using roll as it is, using raw rubber without any compounding materials.
When kneaded, the natural rubber start to generate heat, and its viscousity also decreased.
Then I need to cut the rubber sheet with survival kife, from left to the right and roll it up again.
I did that continuously as I roll.
This was done alternately between left and right every 5 times.
It was commonly known as [Kirikaeshi] work.
「This is how you work it.」
「That looks wonderful.」
「So everyone, you guys should try it too.」
「EH?」
For what reason, there are five reason.
And not to mention it is also for experience.
Now, next is…
Let us mix the materials.
And then we shape it into a sheet shape.
The thinnest mold is around 3mm.
Then aim for a slightly thicker sheet than that.
But, there’s caveat to all of this.
The sulfur vulcanizing agent must not be added from the beginning.
Mixing black carbon also takes a lot of times.
In addition, we only need moderate heat to mix the black carbon.
Due to it need long heating, vulcanizing might happen accidentally.
And if done poorly, it might ended up being burnt instead.
First of, let us form the black carbon first.
Knead several times while adding the black carbon between the rolls.
Sometimes, black carbon dust flies.
But with a sealed banbury mixer, the effect is minimal.
This is also why, a refining factory always becomes dirty.
After the black carbon is being mixed, it becomes black rubber like the one used for tires.
Now then…
Add sulfur here.
Hurry, hurry!
Mixing is regarded as finished when “Kirikaeshi” work is done.
With the help of everyone, the sheet was then cut to the shape of the mold.
Now, we’re ready to vulcanizing.
However.
Only one condition left.
The other four conditions have been fulfilled by, Kawano-kun, Sakura-san, Muto-kun, and Ryukahn-kun.
I helped a little bit a long the way.
Well, if you practice this a few times, you will be good at it!
That is why, I’m not worried.
And vulcanization.
Two plates heated to 150 degrees.
In the meantime, the mold is being warmed using the residual heat.
The un vulcanized mold then being placed in between the two plate to vulcanized.
We decide the time for the vulcanizing is 20 minutes.
I believe that is appropriate.
If this was a thicker sheet, then we will increase the time.
Now then…
All I have to do is to wait for it to finish.
It may sound like making a bread, but I guess it was familiar.
「Now then, the question is the possibility of making tire now isn’t it?」
「Indeed, how should we do that I wonder?」
「To be honest, I still think making tire would be difficult.」
「As expected huh?」
With modern tire, that would be the case of course.
Even with rubber alone, we still need polymers, treads, sidewalls, and tubes.
Not to mention the carcass, the inner skeleton of a tire.
On the other hand, tire cords are made of fibers using polyester, where nylon and rayon are stacked.
Then a layer of reinforcement between the tread part and the carcass.
Steel cord is used for that.
A bead wire embedded in the part that will be used to fit into the wheel.
It also has the role of holding down both ends of the carcass.
In the ancient times, there was a time when cotton was used in place of the fiber part.
Heat generation and adhesion become a problem because of that.
The surface of both, steel cord and wires are plated, they bonded by vulcanization.
That is why, adhesive technology is also very important.
Without that, instead of a tire, it would just be a block of rubber.
The first sample sheet was completed in about 2 hours.
How was it?
A sheet with a sulfur content of 20 grams, a sheet with a sulfur content of 40 grams, and a sheet with sulfur content of 60 grams are made.
Bring JIS to test the hardness!
We won’t know unless there is numerical value!
But if we go only with feeling, by pressing these items, there is no doubt.
60 grams is a harder one.
How about 80 grams and 100 grams then?
The hardness did not change much.
Too much sulfur did not mean will create a big difference.
I guess, the amount of sulfur being used should be around 60 grams.
If we increase the set amount around 10 times, maybe we would get ebonite?
「The surface is beautiful…」
「Is it possible to use this sheet for armor reinforcement?」
Of all the frolicking, only Sakura-san remains calm.
Why I wonder?
「How to make these harder?」
「Of course, increasing the amount of black carbon might be a good idea. How about you experimented with the same method?」
「Alright!」
「It would be important to remember the work of each process. With the data, we might be able to shorten the production time.」
「You are right.」
Good, I will leave it to you then…
Right now, there is something else that I feel interested into.
I came up an idea.
Can we make a new weapon with this, I wonder?
A friend request from Sakura-san’s applied.
Please do tell me if you have a good rubber product okay?
Companion.
Adele, Irina, Haruna, Knohana, Hyodor.
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
Summoner is Going
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 80 Hours
Thanks for the treat.