032 : Ultimate Fiber
Seongsu-dong factory.
I asked my father to work on containers at Busan Port and came up to Seoul.
Because now I had to prepare to leave.
I had to look at samples of military boots with Sambok and discuss the issue of supplying them to the US military.
“Is the guy who went to dye his hair dead or alive?”
I didn’t expect Sambok to come back for the samples I left with Comet Nylon.
「Excellence! Hyeonsan Construction Super Large Overseas Construction Order”
「Hyunsan Construction Thailand Highway Construction Order」
「Hyeonsan Construction’s $5.22 million overseas expansion」
While waiting, I flipped through the newspaper.
The headlines were all Hyeonsan Construction.
Even when President Park left for the Korea-US summit, it was not as noisy as this.
Well, there are pros and cons about dispatching troops to Vietnam, but everyone was happy about the news of the contract for Hyunsan Construction.
Reading the article, it was said that Hyunsan Construction’s order is the first overseas order in history, and the order amount of 5.22 million dollars is the largest single construction amount.
Compared to the 21st century, overseas construction is considered to be a decent project only if the order amount exceeds 100 million dollars.
Of course, I also admired the article.
I did arrange it, but I never thought it would happen this fast.Read at noblemtl
Just a few days ago, the presidential secretary’s office and Hyunsan Construction were connected, but the order was decided at once.
It seemed that things had come to an end now that President Wang and President Park were the representatives of the fast movement.
The effect of the memorandum was already showing, and it meant that the ongoing ROK-US summit would end successfully with the issuance of a joint statement today or tomorrow.
I had to fly to Vietnam before the man came.
If I keep getting entangled, my plan to become a world-class conglomerate in the shortest course will crumble.
“By the way, why is President Wang’s barrel so small? You should have spent $6.5 million on your bid, what is only $5.22 million?”
I was told to spend about $1 million more than I thought, but in the end, they didn’t listen to me.
I would like to see a huge deficit like the original history.
I had no reason to be sad.
President Wang said he would pay the tuition himself, so what?
Rather, my words will have more weight next time.
A newspaper article said that it competed with 28 companies from 16 countries.
It seems that he was scared when he handed in the bidding documents.
Well, as a result, it is bitter in the mouth, but it is like inhaling a healthy medicine.
Through this project, Hyunsan Construction will build up achievements in constructing internationally standardized highways, as well as acquire what an advanced construction company should have, such as securing US military specifications, the ability to operate heavy equipment, and the experience that bidding without on-site surveys would be a waste of money.
Of course I don’t have to go through that experience.
Because he had to deal with failure in his previous life, he has the ability to become an S-class construction company in an instant if he has construction equipment in this life.
“Chansu! ha ha ha Chansu, hahahaha.”
Sambok came running laughing like a madman.
With fabric wrapped around the body and military boots in both hands.
“What is it, like that?”
“Aww, bastard. how scared i was I ate a ton of samples when you weren’t around. However, as soon as you returned to Seoul, the sample was completed in a snap.”
“When Manager Sambok wasn’t there, President Woo was in a lot of trouble. My friend goes to the battlefield, but he says he can’t even do what he’s asked to do.”
Old Man Hwang, who was walking behind him, added his words.
“Old Man Hwang, when did I do that?”
“It wasn’t once or twice.”
“You’ve owed yourselves to the old man again.”
“No, no. I was just talking about work. Come on, take a look at the sample. It kills me.”
With President Hwang Hye-seong and I not by my side, I guess the only person I could talk to was Hwang.
“Polytech, the double pattern is really good.”
“As you said, honeycomb patterns are possible. The dye was also chosen amazingly.”
Its name is honeycomb, but it has a repeating rhombic pattern. It was a double fabric with nylon inside the rhombus and polyester woven around the rhombus.
Of course, when the fabric is turned inside out, it has a double structure, with polyester on the inside and nylon on the circumference.
In technical terms, it is called Entwining twill, but the problem was dyeing.
Nylon and polyester were dyed differently, so the color of the military uniform was mottled.
Military uniforms in the 60s were solid in dark green for the US Army and the US Army. Like our Marine Corps, only the special forces were blessed with frogs.
“Is this also the work of old man Hwang?”
“I was thinking about it today. I wondered what it would be like to treat the lye with the ammonium acetate you discovered before burning it. If you remove grease with lye, vinegar-based dyes work well.”
After all, old man Hwang is not an ordinary nobleman.
It was said that the acidic dye was used, and the reaction rate was adjusted through the neutralization reaction through basic pretreatment.
The ability to solve problems by applying experience versus learning was excellent.
He was a nobleman who might have become a world-class chemical engineer if he had received a proper college education.
“Chansu, but what about the quality test for this?”
“How come, I have to experience Polytech.”
I was meant to make it a fun experience.
I wrapped the fabric around the arms of Sambok and Hwang. Then he brought a bowlful of water and sprayed it all over.
“What are you doing?”
“Can’t you feel it? It’s the feel of Polytech.”
“Eh? Where do you turn on the fan? Your arms are suddenly cool?”
“The old man knows right away.”
“Oh, really. It’s cool. hey, this is so amazing I can see the water drying up.”
“Nylon absorbs moisture or sweat like a sponge, and polyester disperses moisture into the air.”
Polyester is a hydrophobic material and nylon is a hydrophilic material, so the honeycomb pattern maximizes the ability to emit moisture.
Because of this functionality, Polytech swept the world’s sportswear market.
“It is a great skill. It wasn’t a simple double fabric. You are truly a genius, Chansu.”
“Since the patent is written, start with the domestic application, and take care of the international application while I am gone.”
“okay.”
While I remembered, I handed over the patent I had written.
It was something I jotted down in my notebook while I was on the go.
“Chief Woo, can I read it?”
“Yes, you are.”
I gave the notebook I was going to give to Sambok to old man Hwang. It is a written down of the basic concept of Polytechnic, and it will be helpful to Hwang.
“It’s a cooling fabric… I guess the original purpose of polytech fabric was to cool the body temperature.”
“It is also a prejudice to think that clothes only keep warm.”
Haven’t you seen all kinds of functional clothes in the 21st century? Among them, the cool material stood out.
What helped me the most in the sticky Southeast Asian plant or the heat wave in the Middle East was the cold-feeling fabric sleeve and face mask that wrapped up to the neck.
Without it, the stinging sunlight, dust, sweat, and oil in the middle of working will give you an unbearable discomfort.
What is different about Vietnam jungle?
It was only a matter of time before they hit the jackpot if they made sleeves, face masks, and stockings.
Although we have filed patent applications to prevent other military supply companies from imitating them, the most important thing is to release the quantity all at once.
“Ugh, what is this? Waterproof breathable fabric?”
It seems that old man Hwang flipped through his notebook and even turned over the back page. It’s still just an idea.
“Oh, I can’t patent it yet. I can complete it only when I return from Vietnam and experiment.”
Waterproof and breathable fabric is the ultimate functional material, but the concept is not that difficult.
There are two methods, a rudimentary method of weaving fabric by coating yarn with a highly elastic fiber material called polyurethane, and a rather sophisticated method of inserting a new material, Teflon film, between the outer fabric and the lining.
The latter case is often used for Cortex mountaineering clothing.
The problem is that it is difficult to synthesize either polyurethane or Teflon film. Currently, it can only be produced in the US, Japan and Germany.
It was the reason why I couldn’t patent the Cortex.
If you apply for a patent for the Cortex concept while not being able to synthesize materials, you will only make others do good things.
The odds of me winning a patent lawsuit against an American company that made a product based on my patent are zero.
When the size is small like now, product launch and patent must be done at the same time.
There is some leeway in time.
Polyurethane and Teflon already exist in the market, but the concept of the Cortex function of waterproof and breathable was not created until around 1969. As far as I remember, yes.
“No, Mr. Wu. It’s not about patents. Waterproof and breathable fabric, you are asking if the technology of repelling water and allowing moisture to pass through is really possible.”
Sweat is more correct than moisture, but that’s it.
“Of course it is possible. Water droplets are large and moisture is so small that it is invisible to the naked eye. All you have to do is make a fiber with very small pores that only allow moisture to pass through.”
The size of pores in a polyurethane coating or Teflon film is several micrometers, which is 20,000 times smaller than water droplets and 700 times larger than water vapor, and has the opposite characteristics of waterproof and moisture permeability.
Cortex fabric can be made if someone can poke a few micrometer holes in vinyl with a needle.
“… Hey… Are you serious?”
“Seriously, should I believe it or not?”
Old Man Hwang and Sambok made absurd expressions, but it didn’t matter. It was something I could show you later.
“Why are you looking like that? If I hadn’t been to Vietnam, I would have made it from there. It would have swept the American market or the Japanese market with it, but it’s just a pity.”
Unfortunately, there was no need to rush.
It had to be completed before 1969, when the concept of the Cortex came out.
“Is it okay to synthesize this substance? There are two substances…”
“It doesn’t matter which way. Both polyurethane and Teflon are waterproof and breathable.”
“Can’t I try to synthesize it? If you or I, whoever does it first, won’t we succeed before Japan?”
Hwang asked, pointing to the process flow chart I had drawn.
“I wouldn’t recommend it. Because the PFD (process flow diagram) is not accurate. I tried it a few times in Ulsan, but it failed because it kept exploding.”
“failure? Do geniuses like you fail?”
It’s an honor to be called a genius, but I don’t know everything.
To be honest, I made a plant for polyurethane, but I never actually synthesized it.
Because I wasn’t an employee of a textile company.
In other words, the process diagram is accurate for the machine configuration and raw materials, but the process recipe is unknown.
“I designed the process based on the chemical formula, but the catalysts and various additives that go into it are too complicated. The blowing agent used as a catalyst caused an explosion. When you come back from Vietnam, please cross-experiment with me. It’s very dangerous, so don’t do it alone.”
“That… yes… I see.”
Old Man Hwang handed the notebook back to Sambok, looking a bit disappointed.
To be honest, I didn’t know it would be this difficult when I started. I knew the final structural formula, so I thought I would have to do it once or twice, but it was different from polyester polymerization.
The reaction was extreme depending on the amount of various additives such as amine organic catalysts, zirconium-based metal catalysts, foaming aids, flame retardants, chain extenders, crosslinking agents, and antioxidants.
Every combination I tried went pop like popcorn! It exploded and I couldn’t find the optimal combination.
Even CEO Hwang Hye-seong, who was enthusiastic about anything, suggested putting off the experiment for now.
After that, it took me four months to go to Vietnam.
match. match.
“No, why do you look like that in front of such an amazing polytech fabric? Anyone who sees it will know that the company is out of business. We are rich even if we only sell this. Wealthy!”
Sambok clapped his hands and shook his shoulders.
I heard and saw it.
Like Cortex, Polytech was a product that hit the jackpot.
“Sambok, listen carefully.”
“Yes, I am listening.”
“Apply for patents, make as many US military uniforms, jungle boots, and meriyas as possible and stock them up. Also, when I go to Vietnam and ask them to send me something, they send it all at once.”
“Huh? Isn’t that what you get from military service?”
“If you go to the official military service, you have to submit blueprints and get test scores. Then you lose your skills. You have to sell the goods first and then collect the military supply. This is for Vietnam only.”
“For Vietnam only! I see You’re going to drink a lot.”
What I made is a military uniform for the Vietnam jungle.
You have to sell as much as possible when you first enter.
It won’t even be sold anymore after the Vietnam War. Who wears boots with drainage holes?
Even in the original history, the demand for military equipment for the Vietnam War plummeted in the late 1960s.
“It’s not a military uniform, but Tosh, make a face mask and stockings. Aside from military uniforms, we send them as soon as a certain amount is gathered.”
“Tosh, face mask, stockings?”
“It can be sold right away. Vietnam is full of mosquitoes, spiders and leeches. If it’s a normal fabric, you’ll die from the heat if you wear long clothes, but wouldn’t it be okay if it was a polytech?”
“!!! It must be because of the bugs.”
“Look, if there are a lot of mosquitoes, you should also bring insecticide and mosquito nets. If it’s near a forest, I’ll start with a mosquito fire.”
My ears perked up at Grandpa Hwang’s words.
Pesticides can be made in Daesae Chemistry.
All it does is extract toluene from naphtha.
“Sambok, did you hear what the old man said? Make a mosquito net and send it. Insecticides will be made in Ulsan.”
“Hey, there’s a lot to take care of. It’s all money!”
Going to the battlefield of Vietnam, it felt like money was falling from the sky.
Departure is just around the corner, but there was no time for dinner.
It was good though.
