A stunning discovery has discovered how to produce diamonds in just 150 minutes, compared to the billion-year natural process.
The researchers behind the invention are confident they will be able to produce large quantities of synthetic diamonds with their new creation process.
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O to look for was published in the journal Nature on Wednesday.
Researchers led the invention of the fast diamond from the South Korea Institute of Basic Sciences.
“We have discovered a method to grow diamonds at 1 atm pressure and under moderate temperature using a liquid metal alloy,” the paper said.
Instant diamonds were created using a completely new process of mixing metals and carbon diffusion.
They combined the four liquid metals gallium, iron, nickel and silicon at 1,877 degrees F and a pressure of just 1 atm.
The mixture was placed inside a graphite box with a custom vacuum that would rapidly heat and cool the metal while it was simultaneously exposed to methane and hydrogen.
This process caused the methane’s carbon atoms to scatter within the molten metal, creating “diamond seeds”.
“The diamond grew in the subsurface of the liquid metal composed of gallium, iron, nickel and silicon, by catalytic activation of methane and diffusion of carbon atoms in the underground regions,” said the newspaper.
“We found that carbon supersaturation in the subsurface of the liquid metal leads to the nucleation and growth of diamonds.”
It took the diamond seeds just 15 minutes to start creating diamond crystals from the liquid metal.
A diamond film was created after two and a half hours of exposure to the process.
INNOVATIVE DIAMONDS
The new process invented by the researchers also eliminated the need to include extreme amounts of pressure to create a diamond.
The current process of creating synthetic diamonds would need about 5 to 6 gigapascals for diamond seeds to begin forming.
It would also take several days for the current process to be completed.
Researchers believe this new process will be groundbreaking as an efficient way to form diamonds.
“The general approach of using liquid metals could accelerate and promote the growth of diamonds on a variety of surfaces,” the paper stated.
Diamonds – the main facts
Here’s what you need to know…
- Diamond is a solid form of carbon
- Its atoms are arranged in a crystalline structure known as a “cubic diamond”.
- Diamonds are known to have the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any natural material.
- Their atomic arrangement is also extremely rigid, which makes them less likely to be contaminated by impurities.
- Natural diamonds are typically between 1 billion and 3.5 billion years old
- And will generally form at depths between 93 and 155 miles
- Many diamonds are transported to the surface in volcanic eruptions, making them easier for humans to find.
- Synthetic diamonds can also be produced by applying high pressures and temperatures to high-purity carbon.
- The diamond is best known for being a popular and expensive gemstone, often used for decorative purposes – including as jewelry.
The new process could also allow smaller diamond seeds to produce diamonds more quickly.
“And perhaps it facilitates the growth of diamond into small diamond particles (seeds),” the paper added.
The researchers plan to continue improving their strategy to create a larger space for diamonds to be created in the new process.
This would allow a large quantity of diamonds to be produced at high speed.
“We suggest that simple modifications could allow diamonds to be grown over a very large area, using a larger surface or interface,” the paper stated.
“Setting up heating elements to achieve a much larger potential growth region and distributing carbon to the diamond growth region in some new ways.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
