New Research Revolutionizes Diamond Production with Breakthrough Technique
In the world of diamond production, a new method has emerged that could change the game forever. Traditionally, diamonds take billions of years to form naturally or weeks to be produced synthetically. However, researchers from South Korea’s Institute for Basic Science have developed a new technique that can grow diamonds in just 150 minutes using a special liquid metal mix, all at normal atmospheric pressure.
This breakthrough eliminates the need for immense pressure typically required for diamond production and offers a faster and more efficient alternative. Led by Dr. Hyoung-Kee Kim, the team believes this method can be scaled up for significant industrial applications. While dissolving carbon in liquid metal is not a new concept, previous methods involved high pressure and diamond seeds. The new approach utilizes a specific blend of liquid metals – gallium, iron, nickel, and silicon – heated rapidly in a vacuum chamber with methane and hydrogen gases.
Under these conditions, carbon atoms become suspended in the liquid metal, forming diamond crystal seeds in just 15 minutes. Tiny diamond fragments then emerge, and a continuous diamond film can be formed within 150 minutes. Although the researchers acknowledge limitations such as the current diamond film’s depth, they are confident that improvements can be made through a larger growth area and optimized carbon distribution methods.
This groundbreaking technique has the potential to revolutionize diamond production in various fields, including industrial applications