These scientists were able to create diamonds in less than two hours

Diamond formation is a natural process It extends over several billion years. ” Diamonds that form at depth are transported to the Earth's surface thanks to magma called kimberlite. “Explain to us Future sciences. Although the production of synthetic diamonds dates back to the 1950s, the speed of the process has remained its biggest weakness. In fact, several days, even several Weeks were still necessary, using a giant piston or the CVD (chemical vapor deposition) method, using plasma.

A team of researchers from the Korea Institute of Basic Science has revolutionized this field by proposing an innovative method Able to produce diamonds in less than two hours, under ambient pressure ! They published their results on April 24 In the magazine nature.

Recipe: liquid metals and very high temperatures

Get out of the infernal machines that exert enormous pressure! This new method relies on A A clever mixture of liquid metals. While relatively high temperatures are still necessary (about 1025 degrees Celsius), the team was able to produce a continuous diamond film in just 150 minutes, and at ambient atmospheric pressure, tens of thousands of times lower than the pressure normally required. A real achievement!

” We have discovered a way to grow diamonds at atmospheric pressure and moderate temperature using an alloy of liquid metals », the researchers explain in their publications.

Actually this The applicant depends on It is a concept that has already been explored in the pastEspecially General Electric. Dating back half a century, molten iron sulfide was used to dissolve carbon and promote diamond formation. It is a technique that still requires the application of pressure of 5 to 6 gigapascals, which requires a small amount of diamond to initiate crystallization.

Harness the power of metal alloys

The process lies in precise chemistry, Carefully measured mixture Nickel, iron, gallium and silicon are in liquid form. This mineral cocktail is then placed in a vacuum system specially designed for the occasion, inside a graphite box. The whole thing undergoes a rapid cycle of heating and cooling, while being exposed to a mixture of methane and hydrogen.

This process created Favorable conditions for Diffusion of carbon atoms of methane in molten metal. This then forms the breeding sites for future diamonds, the first bits of which begin to crystallize on the surface of the liquid metal in just 15 minutes. By extending the process for two and a half hours, the researchers then obtained a continuous layer of diamonds.

Very promising potential

The process still needs some adjustments, as the carbon concentration tends to be weak A few hundred nanometers below the surface of the film. but, Researchers are confident We believe that process improvement is possible. ” Simple modifications can allow diamonds to grow over a much larger area », they explain.

Even if this improvement requires Undoubtedly, with more time and research, researchers are optimistic about their discovery potential. Currently, the methods used to produce most synthetic diamonds are time-consuming and energy-intensive. The latter are used in electronics, industrial tools, the medical field, and even quantum computers.

If this new technology confirms its potential,Diamond making You could witness a real revolution : Faster, easier to implement, and less power consuming. This would necessarily lead to a significant reduction in the costs of manufacturing this highly sought-after metal. The researchers responsible for this miracle see further. ” This approach could accelerate and enhance diamond growth on a variety of surfaces, and perhaps even facilitate the fabrication of diamonds from diamond particles. “They conclude. Well done to them!

• Researchers at the Korea Institute of Basic Science have successfully created synthetic diamonds using a completely new method.
• Using an alloy of metals, they were able to recreate this metal in two hours.
• A discovery with extremely high potential, and could revolutionize current techniques for designing synthetic diamonds.

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