Diamond Price Will Fall Now, New Technique Of Diamond Making Just In 150 Minutes The traditional process of natural diamond formation in nature takes millions of years, while synthetic diamond production has historically required weeks using high-pressure techniques. However, with advancements in technology utilizing a unique liquid metal mixture, diamonds can now be grown in just 150 minutes, at standard atmospheric pressure. This innovative method eliminates the necessity for the extreme pressures typically associated with diamond synthesis.
While the concept of dissolving carbon in liquid metal has been explored previously, earlier methods relied on high-pressure conditions and the use of diamond seeds. In contrast, this novel approach employs a tailored mixture of liquid metals, including gallium, iron, nickel, and silicon. These metals are rapidly heated within a vacuum chamber in the presence of methane and hydrogen gases.
Under these conditions, carbon atoms become suspended within the liquid metal, initiating the formation of diamond crystal seeds. Within a mere 15 minutes, minuscule diamond fragments begin to emerge, and within 150 minutes, a continuous diamond film can be achieved. This innovative technique holds the promise of transforming diamond manufacturing across a spectrum of industries, including industrial sectors, electronics, and quantum computing. The researchers behind the study anticipate that this liquid metal methodology can be refined to facilitate diamond growth on various surfaces, including pre-existing diamond particles.
Initially, the researchers employed electrically heated gallium, combined with a small amount of silicon, within a graphite crucible. Gallium, though somewhat obscure, was chosen due to prior research indicating its ability to catalyze methane into graphene. Graphene, akin to diamond, consists solely of carbon atoms but differs in that it arranges them in a single layer, rather than the tetrahedral structure found in gemstones.
The researchers placed the crucible within a custom-built chamber, regulated to maintain atmospheric pressure at sea level, where it could be exposed to extremely hot methane gas rich in carbon. Crafted by co-author Won Kyung Seong from the Institute for Basic Science, this chamber, with a capacity of 2.4 gallons (9 liters), could be prepared for experiments within a mere 15 minutes, enabling the team to promptly conduct trials with varying metal and gas concentrations.
The researchers determined that a combination of gallium, nickel, iron, and a small amount of silicon was the most effective catalyst for promoting diamond growth. Using this particular blend, diamonds were produced from the bottom of the crucible within a mere 15 minutes. Within two and a half hours, a more comprehensive diamond film had formed. Spectroscopic examinations revealed that this film was predominantly pure, although it did contain some silicon atoms.
The precise details of the diamond formation mechanism remain largely unclear; however, researchers hypothesize that a decrease in temperature causes carbon to migrate from methane toward the center of the crucible, where it aggregates to form diamonds. Additionally, silicon is believed to play a crucial role as a nucleation site for carbon crystallization, without which diamond formation does not occur.
The new method faces several challenges. Firstly, diamonds produced through this technique are significantly smaller, with the largest ones being hundreds of thousands of times smaller than those grown through HPHT. Consequently, they are unsuitable for use as gemstones. Secondly, the diamonds lack the clarity of naturally occurring ones due to the involvement of low pressure in the conversion process.
