Diamonds can now be created from scratch in the lab in just 15 minutes

In the pursuit of innovation, a group of scientists has achieved something remarkable: they’ve found a way to create “real” diamonds at normal room temperature and pressure.

This breakthrough not only eliminates the need for a starter gem but also drastically simplifies the process of producing lab-grown diamonds, making it more efficient and potentially more accessible.

By challenging conventional methods, this discovery paves the way for a new era in diamond synthesis.

How nature makes diamonds

Most diamonds start their journey about 90 to 150 miles beneath the surface, in a part of the Earth’s mantle where temperatures soar to around 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and pressures are mind-bogglingly high.

Under these extreme conditions, carbon atoms bond together in a unique crystal structure, creating the hard, shiny gems we know and love.

But getting those diamonds to the surface is another story. Volcanic eruptions, millions of years ago, brought diamonds closer to the Earth’s crust in rocks called kimberlite or lamproite.

These eruptions were like express elevators, moving the diamonds upward quickly enough to keep them intact under lower-pressure conditions.

Today, miners find these ancient gems in volcanic pipes or riverbeds where erosion has carried them.

Mimicking extreme conditions in the lab

To mimic these natural conditions in the lab, scientists have been using a method called high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) growth.

With this method, they have been simulating the same extreme conditions in order to coerce dissolved carbon, in liquid metals like iron, to convert into diamond around a starter gem.

Challenges of growing diamonds

This approach has its limitations. Incredible pressure and heat aren’t easy to achieve or maintain in a lab setting. And, the size of the lab-made gems leaves a bit to be desired.

The largest ones only reach about the size of a blueberry, and the process is time-consuming.

Alternative methods, such as chemical vapor deposition, attempt to eliminate some of HPHT’s limitations, such as the need for high pressures, but the requirement for a starter diamond remains.

The new technique, developed by a team led by Rodney Ruoff, a physical chemist at the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea, eliminates some of the disadvantages of the above-mentioned synthesis processes.

According to Ruoff, he has been pondering new ways to grow diamonds for over a decade now, challenging conventional thinking.

Secret to growing diamonds

The team’s method began with electrically heated gallium with a little bit of silicon in a graphite crucible.

While gallium may sound exotic, it was actually chosen based on a previous unrelated study that identified its ability to catalyze the formation of graphene, a carbon cousin to diamond.

The team also invented a special chamber containing a 2.4-gallon crucible where the gallium-silicon mix awaited.

This crucible chamber, designed to be at sea-level atmospheric pressure, was ready to experiment in just 15 minutes. It allowed the experimental gas mixtures to be changed rapidly and easily to determine the optimal blend.

After numerous trials, the scientists found that an optimal mixture of gallium-nickel-iron, with a smattering of silicon, catalyzed the growth of diamonds most efficiently.

Even more impressive was that diamonds appeared at the base of the crucible within 15 minutes, and a more complete diamond film formed within two and a half hours.

Mystery of diamond formation

The actual mechanism that leads to diamond formation deep within the Earth isn’t yet completely understood.

However, the researchers believe that a decrease in temperature helps drive the carbon from the methane towards the center of the crucible, where it coalesces into a diamond.

The process seems reliant on silicon. Without it, no diamonds could be formed, indicating the crucial role it plays as a seed for the carbon to crystallize around.

Limitations of the new technique

Despite these thrilling advancements, the new technique isn’t without its own limitations.

The diamonds produced using this method are minuscule, hundreds of thousands of times smaller than those grown with the HPHT method. Hence, these diamonds are far too small for jewelry applications.

However, their use in technological applications, such as drilling or polishing, is a possibility. Due to the low pressure involved in the new method, it might be feasible to significantly scale up diamond synthesis.

“In about a year or two, the world might have a clearer picture of things like possible commercial impact,” Rodney Ruoff predicts optimistically.

This breakthrough is a remarkable reflection of the unceasing quest for innovation that pushes the boundaries, and redefines the possible.

The intriguing discovery may even hint at an exciting new chapter in the evolving story of synthetic gems, one that could reshape their production and applications. Only time will tell how far this innovation will take us.

The full study was published in the journal Nature.

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