Science on the verge of fantasy: scientists grow diamonds in 2.5 hours
In a new study published by the journal Nature, scientists from South Korea have demonstrated how a rare-metal alloy can be used to grow diamonds in just 150 minutes. Traditionally, natural diamonds take billions of years to form under extreme pressure and temperature. Although existing diamond synthesis methods require significantly less time, they still require high pressure and long processing times.
This new approach uses a unique combination of liquid metals such as gallium, iron, nickel, and silicon to create diamonds under atmospheric pressure and at temperatures of around 1025°C. The process begins with heating the metal mixture in a specialized vacuum system, after which the liquid metal is rapidly cooled by mixing with methane and hydrogen.
The conditions in the system favor the distribution of carbon from methane in the molten metal, which initiates the formation of diamonds. After 15 minutes, the first diamond crystals appear, and over the next 150 minutes, a continuous diamond film is formed.
This technology can dramatically change the production of synthetic diamonds used in a wide range of industrial processes, electronics, and even quantum computing. Scientists believe that further modifications and optimization of the process will significantly expand the possibilities of producing diamonds on larger surfaces or even reduce the time required to create them.
