Scientists have learned to make rare diamonds - lonsdaleites in a couple of minutes at room temperature

Natural diamonds are a product of the work of nature for many millions of years in extreme depths where temperature and pressure form ideal conditions for starting the crystallization process carbon.

Engineers from an international scientific group have managed to significantly reduce the time required to obtain diamonds. They managed to obtain both ordinary and rather rare diamonds - lonsdaleites in just a couple of minutes and at absolutely normal room temperature. It is about this unique experience that I want to tell you today.

Who developed the new method and how it works

A new method of obtaining diamonds under normal conditions and in just a couple of minutes was developed by scientists from the Australian National University (ANU) and RMIT University.

They used a special cell with a diamond anvil, which is nothing more than device for the formation of ultra-high pressure, which is so necessary for the creation of superhard materials.

After the scientists squeezed the carbon to a pressure of 80 gigapascals, they also allowed a slight slip (twisting) a compressed workpiece, and thus the carbon atoms moved and created both an ordinary diamond and its rather rare form - lonsdaleite.

Many people know about ordinary diamonds and they can be found in any jewelry, but diamonds from lonsdaleite are quite rare and are found in such places where meteorites fall.

Using modern technology, scientists have found that in a laboratory, these rare diamonds formed inside bands, which scientists have compared to the "streams" of diamond.

Prospects for a new method of obtaining diamonds

Scientists speculate that this method will allow them to produce enough diamonds, including its rare form of lonsdaleite, which is 58% harder than regular diamond for a minute.

And it, in turn, can be applied in mechanisms for cutting superhard materials.

Scientists have shared their experimental results on the pages of Small magazine. And if you liked the material, then put your thumbs up, subscribe and comment. Thank you for your attention!