Chinese scientists synthesized an artificial “super diamond” that is 40% harder and far more durable than natural diamonds. The findings of the research team were published in early February in the journal Nature Materials.
Led by Liu Bingbing and Yao Mingguang from Jilin University, the researchers discovered that by heating highly compressed graphite, it can transform into a hexagonal diamond. This synthetic creation possesses a hexagonal crystal form, which provides much greater strength compared to the cubic structure of most natural diamonds. The “super diamond” structure exhibits high thermal stability up to 1,100°C and a very high hardness of 155 Giga Pascals (GPa), according to the scientists.
“Our findings offer valuable insights regarding the graphite-to-diamond conversion under elevated pressure and temperature, providing opportunities for the fabrication and applications of this unique material,” the scientists wrote in the study.
Source: Jpost