Diamonds Produced at Standard Pressure in Only 15 Minutes

Diamonds are typically formed under extreme pressure and temperature, contributing to their high value. However, scientists have now succeeded in creating diamonds in a lab at normal pressure in just 15 minutes.

Under extreme pressure and temperature, carbon atoms crystallize into a specific structure, essentially forming diamonds. On Earth, the necessary conditions for this process occur deep in the mantle, hundreds of miles below the surface.

Volcanic eruptions later transport diamonds closer to the surface, contributing to their rarity. This rarity, combined with some of the most cunning marketing tactics in history, has made diamonds highly coveted.

Revolutionizing Diamond Synthesis

Scientists have been growing diamonds in labs for decades, typically requiring extreme conditions—nearly 50,000 atmospheres of pressure and temperatures around 1,500 °C (2,732 °F). However, a new technique has now produced diamonds under normal pressure and lower temperatures.

Developed by researchers from the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea, this new method synthesizes diamonds using a liquid metal alloy of gallium, iron, nickel, and silicon.

Within a 9-L (2.4-gal) tank, researchers subject this metal mixture to methane and hydrogen gas at a temperature of 1,025 °C (1,877 °F).

After 15 minutes, they eliminate the gas from the system, resulting in a diamond film at the bottom that they can easily separate for further examination or immediate application.

Typically, synthetic diamond techniques require “seed particles” for the initial carbon atoms to attach to and grow into a diamond.

Facilitating Carbon Atom Clustering in Diamond Synthesis

However, in this method, the trace amounts of silicon in the liquid metal appear to facilitate the clustering of carbon atoms, resulting in a very pure diamond. While other metals in the alloy can be varied, silicon seems to be essential to the process.

The researchers now plan to explore other liquid metal alloys, gases, and even solid carbons to determine their effectiveness in diamond synthesis. Although it’s unlikely that we’ll be wearing diamonds grown in liquid metal vats soon, these diamonds could initially be used in industrial applications.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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