With the AC Grid (Chapter 37) established and the Internal Combustion Engine (Chapter 39) developed, Alex was ready to launch high-volume production of consumer goods: electric switches, lamp sockets, small appliance casings (for the new AC fan motors), and specialized wire insulation.
However, the existing materials were creating an expensive and inefficient bottleneck:
* Glass and Ceramics: Fragile, expensive to shape, and heavy, leading to high shipping and breakage costs.
* Wood and Rubber: Poor, inconsistent insulators, and susceptible to moisture, creating fire and electrical shock liabilities that inflated the Sickness Fund and Insurance Liability Index (ILI).
* Metal (Aluminum/Steel): Conductive, requiring tedious and expensive insulation wrapping for electrical components.
"My Lord, the Cost per Unit of Electrical Component (CUC) is unacceptably high," Hemlock reported, pointing to the manual labor costs required to fit delicate glass bulbs into metal sockets and wrap every wire with cloth and rubber. "We are forced to use slow, artisan methods to handle our mass-produced electricity."
Alex needed a material that was cheap, easily moldable into complex shapes (for mass production), lightweight, and a superior, guaranteed electrical insulator. He needed to invent plastics—the world's first thermoset polymers.
***
Alex focused on a simple synthesis process using readily available, cheap industrial byproducts, specifically targeting Bakelite (a phenolic resin), known for its excellent heat resistance and insulating properties. He tasked the Syndicate Chemical Research Division (SCRD) with combining two key assets:
* Phenol: A simple chemical derived from the abundant coke byproducts (a clean use for a former waste stream from the coking process, Chapter 35).
* Formaldehyde: A chemical easily synthesized from methanol, itself derived from wood waste.
The SCRD, led by the perpetually frustrated Marcus, worked in secret, combining these two liquids under specific heat and pressure.
The resulting reaction was a polymerization—a chaotic process where small molecules (monomers) linked up to form vast, complex chains (polymers). The liquid boiled, thickened, and finally hardened into a tough, synthetic solid.
***
The breakthrough came when the SCRD realized they could introduce the final liquid phase (the resin) into a custom-built, high-pressure Bessemer steel mold before the final hardening occurred.
* The Press: They designed a dedicated, automated hydraulic press (powered by the AC grid) that applied immense, precise pressure to the molds.
* The Result: The resulting material, when cured by heat and pressure, took on the exact shape of the mold. It emerged hard, dense, perfectly smooth, and, critically, a near-perfect insulator. The cost of shaping a complex electrical socket dropped from three hours of manual ceramic work to thirty seconds of automated pressing.
This ability to mass-produce complex, insulated shapes was the true revolution. Alex had invented injection and compression molding, laying the foundation for all modern manufacturing.
Strategic Deployment: The Electrical Infrastructure
The new synthetic material (dubbed Syntekt) was immediately deployed in the most sensitive areas of the electrical grid:
* Switches and Casings: The dangerous, open metal knife switches were replaced with safer, fully enclosed Syntekt toggle switches and junction boxes. This significantly reduced the risk of electrocution, causing the Insurance Liability Index (ILI) to drop substantially—a measurable financial benefit.
* Appliance Components: The first AC fan motors and lamp components were housed in sleek, durable Syntekt casings, making the appliances safer, lighter for shipping, and highly resistant to environmental degradation.
The ability to create large quantities of superior insulators was the final step in making electricity a safe, reliable consumer utility.
***
The secondary, high-margin application was the consumer market. Syntekt could be easily colored with dyes. Alex used this customization to enter a highly profitable new sector: low-cost, customizable household goods.
The Syndicate began producing Syntekt lamp bases, radio cabinets (for the new wireless telegraphs), and electrical plugs in various colors. These were sold at a premium to the emerging middle class, who sought status through brightly colored, modern appliances.
Syntekt was physically superior and cheaper than wood, metal, or glass for these applications. Local artisan guilds, specializing in hand-carved switches and ceramic sockets, instantly went bankrupt.
Alex immediately offered the skilled artisans positions as Mold Makers and Quality Control Inspectors in the Syndicate's new Polymer Division, reallocating their expertise from craft to industrial design.
The King, accustomed to the elegant, expensive wooden cabinets of his old telegraph set, complained that the new Syntekt wireless unit felt "cheap and artificial."
Alex presented the King with the data: "Your Majesty, the wooden set cost 500 Arren Notes and required 80 hours of manual labor. This Syntekt model costs 50 Notes, requires 2 hours of labor, and carries a 99% lower risk of electrical fire. Value is not measured by tradition, but by safety and accessibility."
The King, now a pragmatic constitutional monarch focused on tax revenue, accepted the synthetic material as a necessary component of modern efficiency. The invention of the polymer secured the Syndicate's dominance in the mass-produced consumer sector.
Next priority: The global expansion is complete, but Alex's most critical asset—the Internal Combustion Engine—is still tied to the ground. To guarantee global logistical and military supremacy, Alex must complete Project Icarus and achieve controlled, motorized flight.