(CLO) Chinese researchers have successfully synthesized a rare type of super-hard diamond, which has only been discovered in meteorites.
A team of scientists from two universities in China has created high-quality 'super diamonds' in the laboratory that are harder than natural diamonds. The breakthrough has great potential in key industrial sectors, where diamonds are already widely used in cutting, polishing and drilling tools.
Unlike conventional natural and synthetic diamonds that have cubic crystal structures, this super hard diamond - lonsdaleite - has a hexagonal crystal structure, which significantly increases its hardness and stability.
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The hardest diamonds ever found have previously only been found in meteorite impact craters, making them extremely rare and small in size. However, the team discovered that graphite can transform into a special structure called a post-graphite phase.
Under extreme pressure and temperature, the post-graphite phase crystallizes into hexagonal diamond with exceptional hardness. These important findings were published in the journal Nature Materials earlier this month.
Production of pure hexagonal diamonds from graphite
Lonsdaleite was first discovered in 1967 in the Canyon Diablo meteorite in Arizona, USA. However, due to the rarity of this type of diamond in nature, reproducing it artificially has always been a big challenge.
Chinese research has come up with an advanced method to synthesize nearly pure, well-crystallized hexagonal diamonds from graphite, according to the South China Morning Post.
Tests have shown that this synthetic diamond is 40% harder than natural diamond and has higher thermal stability than nanodiamond. These characteristics make it an ideal material for industrial applications that require high strength and heat resistance.
In addition, the research also provides insights into the conversion of graphite into diamond under extreme conditions, opening up the potential for mass production in the future.
America also created hexagonal diamonds.
China is not the first country to successfully synthesize hexagonal diamonds.
In 2021, a team of researchers in the United States announced that they had created hexagonal diamonds large enough to measure hardness using sound waves. Tests showed that these diamonds were even harder than bulk diamonds, opening up potential applications in machining, deep drilling, and advanced technology.
One of the authors of the US study even suggested that hexagonal diamonds could become a new choice for engagement rings, thanks to their durability and unique beauty.
China has also made great strides in the field of diamond materials. Last year, scientists from Zhengzhou University, Henan Academy of Sciences, Ningbo University and Jilin University successfully developed conductive diamonds, opening up a new direction for advanced materials technology.
Ha Trang (according to Interesting Engineering)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/trung-quoc-che-tao-sieu-kim-cuong-chi-co-trong-thien-thach-post335068.html
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