Chapter 264 A Waste of Talent
Fang Jin brought over some pastries, and Li Zhen brewed some tea, but Wu Hui didn't touch them at all.
He sat quietly opposite Lin Sicheng, staring at him with a complex and inexplicable expression: shock, astonishment, disbelief, and incredulity...
For a week, Wu Hui worked day and night, neglecting sleep and meals, and lost a lot of weight, before he was able to verify only a small part of the results in Lin Sicheng's research report.
That is, the basic solvent ratio and the synergistic effect of inorganic salts. He didn't even bother to look at the remaining three categories.
This is still using the standard answer to verify in reverse. If we start from scratch, how long would it take?
From the late 1980s to 2000, the Institute of Advanced Study in Taiwan (IAS) increased the corrosion inhibition rate of BTA to 70%, a process that took eleven years.
Subsequently, by utilizing the mathematical models and core data from the Institute of Advanced Studies in Literature, the corrosion inhibition rate of BTA was increased to 75%, a process that took the National Museum of China five years.
At the same time, the Department of Cultural Heritage and Museology at Peking University took a different approach and studied compound systems, which took three years to increase the corrosion inhibition rate of BTA to 80%.
These are the three most authoritative and top-tier institutions in the field of BTA archaeological application research. There are countless other institutions, including second-tier, third-tier, and even unnamed university groups and research organizations.
They spent eighty, ninety, or even ten years without any results, just following in others' footsteps and getting nothing in return.
How long did it take Lin Sicheng?
One year!
And what about efficiency?
More than 95 percent.
After a long silence, Wu Hui sighed deeply: "Lin Sicheng, do you know how difficult materials science research is?"
Lin Sicheng remained silent.
It is indeed difficult.
First, it covers too many fields: physics, chemistry, biology, mechanical engineering, quantum mechanics, solidified solid physics, materials science, polymer chemistry, as well as materials thermodynamics, materials preparation technology, and so on.
Secondly, it's abstract enough. Just take one point: "Material properties require combining macroscopic data, microscopic structure, microscopic elements, molecular level..." You can understand each of these words individually, but put them together, doesn't it make you feel like: "What the hell is this talking about?"
It's normal if you don't understand it. If you bring over a few materials science graduates from their senior year, there will be plenty of people who don't understand it.
Therefore, any research team involved in materials science needs to have more than a dozen researchers; if even one is missing, the experiment cannot proceed.
This is just the basic team configuration; the difficulty level increases exponentially when it comes to specific research and practice.
First, the design space for materials is enormous, with countless possible combinations of building blocks and their arrangements. You have to try them one by one and eliminate them one by one.
Just like the inorganic salt synergy in Lin Sicheng's report: BTA + molybdate/tungstate/phosphorus salt/silicate.
At first glance, there are only four types of compound systems, which seems very simple?
However, when it comes to specific classifications, the total number of monomers in the four salt categories is over 1,100. If we expand this to inorganic salts suitable for corrosion inhibitors, the basic unit is "ten thousand"!
Moreover, it's not enough to simply select the right monomers to succeed in the experiment: you also need precise core ratios, the types, quantities, and order of the added metal ions and organic acids, as well as experimental environmental parameters such as pH range, temperature, humidity, and so on, down to several decimal places.
Regardless of the method, if the error is even one percentage point, the experiment that has been prepared for ten or twenty days, or even one or two months, can be scrapped on the spot.
Secondly, due to technological blockades, it is difficult to accurately predict performance using mature theoretical models from abroad. Repeated trial and error, repeated experiments, and long-term accumulation of experimental data are necessary.
Sometimes, breakthroughs take at least a decade.
For example, the Institute for Advanced Study in Literature.
However, the Institute of Cultural Heritage and the National Museum of China are backed by ministries, while Peking University's Department of Cultural Heritage and Museology is backed by the country's top universities. Each of these organizations has a team comprised of the most authoritative experts in the country, and uses the most advanced equipment and the purest materials.
And what about Lin Sicheng?
All three group leaders in the lab were complete novices, and the rest were all interns. Of all the people in the lab, only Wang Qizhi seemed to know a little, but he was just a hands-off manager?
Does this mean that all these research results were achieved by Lin Sicheng?
If we were to formulate a formula: Lin Sicheng VS Top domestic archaeological research institutions = KO.
The crucial point is that he didn't study materials science at all, and he hasn't even graduated from university yet... Who can understand that?
Wu Hui sighed again: "Lin Sicheng, do you know what it means once these results of yours are published?"
Lin Sicheng paused for a moment.
He knew, of course, that increasing the corrosion inhibition rate of the base solvent to 85% meant that the Institute of Cultural Studies' eleven years and the National Museum's five years had all been for nothing.
Including tens of millions of dollars in economic costs and the hard work of dozens of experts over more than a decade, all of it was wasted.
This also means that he has completely blocked this track.
He expanded the inorganic salt compound system to four types, which means that the Peking University Department of Cultural Heritage and Museology had wasted three years of effort.
A corrosion inhibition rate of 96% or higher means that he has also blocked the path of inorganic salt compound formulation.
Although Lin Sicheng is still in the research stage for the remaining three categories, he has basically outlined the framework and locked in the research direction.
It can be said that no matter who researches BTA archaeological applications of erosion inhibition technology in the future, Lin Sicheng will be like a mountain standing in the middle of the road, the kind that can never be bypassed.
This was only because he deliberately slowed down the pace of his research and deliberately suppressed the progress of his experiments; otherwise, he would have completely blocked all three tracks...
Seeing that Lin Sicheng remained silent, Wu Hui thought he hadn't realized the seriousness of the problem, so he emphasized again: "It's not just about archaeology, and it's not just about the cultural relics field!"
Lin Sicheng nodded.
Industry is based on metals, and all metals oxidize. Therefore, even though BTA corrosion inhibition represents only a tiny fraction of the metal protection field, compared to archaeology, it's like comparing a watermelon to a sesame seed:
Applications include electronics industry, automotive cooling systems, oilfield water injection, water treatment and circulation, metal processing, and even future new energy sources (battery electrodes, conductive metal salts).
To say it will significantly boost domestic industry would be an exaggeration, but it will certainly have some impact on domestic industrial development...
"Director Wu, you must be very curious: so many institutions across the country are researching the archaeological application of BTA, some of which have been studying it for more than ten or twenty years without success, and some of which are even unimaginable fields. Why is it that I have only used one year to achieve not only a lot of results, but also all of them are revolutionary?"
"For example, why can I accurately construct units by doing only a dozen or so experiments that require hundreds or even thousands of sets? Why can I predict accurate data models with only a few sets of experiments that have very high uncertainty and are prone to errors?"
"It's like I already knew the exact dataset, and even knew which individuals were effective and which were ineffective?"
Wu Hui nodded vigorously: Isn't that exactly right?
It's like Lin Sicheng is copying the answer...
"If I told you that the high accuracy and low number of trials and errors in my experiments were all the result of my deductions and comparisons based on published papers, you probably wouldn't believe me?"
Wu Hui scoffed, "That's exactly what Wang Qizhi said!"
But I don't believe it for a second...
Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "I'll mention a few articles that Director Wu should remember: In fact, back in 2000, Professor Xu Qunjie of Shanghai University of Electric Power proposed the research direction of AC impedance on the corrosion inhibition effect of compound tungsten-based corrosion inhibitors on copper electrodes."
In 2004, Dalian University of Technology proposed the preparation and corrosion inhibition properties of a phytate-doped polypyrrole/nano-SiO2/epoxy resin long-lasting corrosion-resistant coating…
In 2005, Professor He Jun of Wuhan University proposed a study on the synergistic corrosion inhibition behavior of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole and sodium molybdate on brass.
"These three papers are among the earliest in China on the synergistic application of BTA inorganic salts and BTA organic salt complexes. Many other related papers were published during this period..."
In 2002, Professor Xu Fei of the Nanjing Museum proposed a comparative study on the protection of bronze artifacts by corrosion inhibitors BTA and AMT… In 2004, Hebei University of Science and Technology proposed the preparation and performance study of a self-healing corrosion-resistant coating of SiO2 microspheres loaded with BTA corrosion inhibitors… and in 2005, a photoelectrochemical comparison of the corrosion inhibition effect of BTA series corrosion inhibitors on copper was conducted…
Every time Lin Sicheng spoke, Wu Hui's eyelids twitched.
He knew some of them, such as Professor Xu Qunjie: a leading figure in China's energy materials electrochemistry field, who was in charge of all the major research projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and was researching several projects at the same time.
However, his main research areas are power plant chemistry, energy storage battery materials, and electrical material protection. In comparison, the proportion of metal protection is extremely small, and within the specific field of BTA archaeology, it is negligible.
Therefore, the direction proposed by Professor Xu is just a direction; once it's proposed, it's discarded.
When the National Museum of China initiated the project, some people suggested giving it a try. However, objections were immediately raised: firstly, they argued that the National Power Corporation had the funds, and secondly, they lacked Professor Xu's expertise. Even he didn't continue the research, which suggests the immense difficulty involved.
Then they gave up.
Wu Hui had also learned about some of them: Professor He Jun of Wuhan University proposed 2-mercaptobenzimidazole and sodium molybdate. This direction is the copper plating brightener in the electroplating field, which is somewhat related to BTA, but only to a limited extent.
Professor Xu Fei from the Nanjing Museum also pointed out that AMT is a metatungstate, and when mixed with BTa, its effect is not as good as that of the basic solvent.
Therefore, Wu Hui firmly does not believe that Lin Sicheng derived experimental units, constructed arrangement methods, or even accurately predicted experimental units based on these papers.
Lin Sicheng looked around: "I'll say another one, but Director Wu, just listen to this. Once I'm out this door, I definitely won't recognize it..."
In November 1991, the Ministry of Light Industry published a book titled "Technical Data: Recent American Fine Chemical Formulations and Technologies," which included BTA inorganic salt blends and organic salt synergies. I wonder if Director Wu recalls this?
Fine chemical formulations, including technology... impossible!
Are Americans really that generous?
Wu Hui was skeptical, but tried hard to recall: "I don't remember him at all? Do you remember Wang Qizhi?"
Wang Qizhi shook his head.
“Because the journal only published one issue!” Lin Sicheng chuckled. “The technology provided by the US was given in October, published in November, and they were leaving in January of the following year. After that, their use was explicitly restricted. So, in February 1992, the State Council issued an official document ordering the confiscation of all the journals…”
Wang Qizhi stared wide-eyed, as if listening to a story.
Wu Hui recalled for a moment, and a thought flashed through his mind: In December 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed.
Previously, the two countries were on very good terms, but things took a sharp turn for the worse afterward. To borrow a phrase from Xinhua News Agency at the time: Sino-US relations were extremely tense.
According to Lin Sicheng, the US had just provided technology, but then the Soviet Union underwent a change of fortune. Naturally, China became the biggest rival. Providing more technology would be tantamount to handing over ammunition to the enemy.
Even things that have already been given away must be taken back.
That interpretation makes sense. But Wu Hui genuinely doesn't recall ever having such an incident…
"Everyone has their own expertise. In the field of archaeology at that time, fine chemical technology was not widely used, so Director Wu probably didn't pay much attention to it. But major universities and industrial research institutions must have remembered it..."
After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng said meaningfully, "For example, Professor Xu Qunjie and Professor He Jun from Wuhan University should have been familiar with it... but BTA technology only accounts for a small part of journal articles, the analysis is not very detailed, and its application areas are limited, so not much effort has been put into it..."
Over time, only a vague impression remains. Occasionally, when I recall it, I quickly publish a paper. It's also a way to provide some direction for relevant research institutions…”
The two were stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: So that's where the papers Lin Sicheng had mentioned earlier came from?
BTA only accounts for a small part, so what about the rest?
Subconsciously, Wu Hui thought of Professor Xu's several national-level projects and the Wuhan University School of Molecular Sciences, which frequently won awards.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he was about to ask: Since all the journals were invited to participate, where did you see them?
But then Wu Hui remembered what Lin Sicheng had just said: "Director Wu, just listen to this. Once you leave this room, I definitely won't recognize you."
The logic is simple: you can secretly read, secretly learn, and secretly research without any problem. Even if you change the name and publish a paper openly and legitimately, there's no problem at all.
If you insist on bringing up topics that are difficult to discuss, be prepared to be scolded or even invited to a lecture on ideology.
Even Wu Hui wouldn't acknowledge it.
He finally understood why Lin Sicheng had kept his many research findings to himself and refused to publish them.
It will definitely be published, but it can't all be released at once...
Just as he was thinking about it, Lin Sicheng explained again: "Director Wu, if you want to find it, you can definitely find relevant information. At most, you can just change the name. You might even be able to borrow the original handwritten copy."
"Once you see it, you'll understand: there's really very little BTA technical data available, only a few subdivided research directions. Even within research, each institution will definitely focus on those technologies with detailed formulas, wide applications, relatively high importance, and even those that could potentially lead to technological bottlenecks."
"So, it's not that the big shots can't, it's just that they don't have the time. I just happened to be there and got lucky, don't think of me as some kind of genius..."
Wu Hui remained silent.
If inorganic salts and organic salts were the ideas Lin Sicheng found here, then the synergistic protection of animal and plant sources and BTA resin composite protection must have been Lin Sicheng's independent research, right?
Having reviewed all the information and data, Wu Hui was certain that Lin Sicheng had broken through the key steps; all that remained was verification.
He is even more certain that the research direction in the field of BTA archaeology over the past decade could not possibly deviate from these two areas.
Non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and with a corrosion inhibition rate of over 96%, it means that Lin Sicheng has completely blocked these two tracks.
If this message gets back, I bet the experts at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Literature and the National Museum of China, as well as Professor Hu from Peking University, will be furious...
Wu Hui sighed: "Lin Sicheng, you're wasting your talents by following Wang Qizhi!"
Wang Qizhi rolled his eyes...
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