In a groundbreaking discovery, a group of Korean scientists have developed a superfast method for producing diamonds in just 15 minutes at ambient pressure. This discovery could revolutionize the diamond manufacturing industry, which currently relies on time-consuming processes such as the high pressure, high temperature method that takes 12 days to grow a diamond.
The team of 15 scientists, including Indian researcher Babu Ram, from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, created a cocktail of gallium, iron, nickel, and silicon in a graphite crucible. By pumping methane at 1,175oC, diamonds formed at the bottom where the liquid metal had solidified, displaying rainbow colors to the eye.
Using a different methane isotope, 13CH4, the researchers found that the diamonds produced were purer. They confirmed the crystals were diamonds using Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction.
The scientists observed that diamonds nucleated and grew at the center of the crucible where there was a slight temperature gradient. Carbon atoms rushed to the spot, forming the diamond structure. The diamonds started forming between 10-15 minutes and stopped growing at around 150 minutes, much faster than traditional methods.
This new method, published in Nature, hints at the possibility of easier, faster, and bigger diamond production. The scientists believe that further tweaks to the system could lead to even better results, making the future of diamond manufacturing brighter than ever before.
