What Are Industrial Diamonds?
Simply put, industrial diamonds are diamonds that are used to perform tasks and functions in various industries. This is in contrast to gemstone diamonds, which strictly exist for their aesthetic appearance over their functionality. At Lieber & Solow, we have a great selection of industrial diamonds to choose from that can match various price points.
Where Do Industrial Diamonds Come From?
The term “industrial diamonds” is not synonymous with “synthetic diamonds.” Actually, it is the contrary, since industrial diamonds can be either synthetic or natural. Natural industrial diamonds are mined the same way that gem-grade diamonds are. However, they are reserved for industrial use, since their size or appearance likely makes them unsuitable as gemstones. Essentially, the ugly ones that need work done.
Natural diamonds are created by the Earth with geologic processes. Chemically speaking, a diamond is composed of carbon atoms that are arranged in a diamond cubic crystal structure. However, carbon can also exist as a solid in the form of graphite and coal. In order to obtain this material, mining is necessary. We partner with Debeers in order to bring our customers the very best in ethically sourced diamonds.
How Are Diamonds Formed?
Most diamonds form deep in the Earth’s mantle. This is where chemical reactions dissolve minerals in rocks and carbon from carbon dioxide, carbon trioxide, or methane. Under these high temperatures and pressures within the mantle, the carbon atoms deposited in this way form crystal lattice that is characteristic of diamonds.
The diamonds are then transported out of the mantle by magma flows, which is how they are then minded. The entire process of formation and transport takes a long time, with most natural diamonds having been formed 1 billion to 3.5 billion years ago.
What is the Process of Synthesizing Diamonds?
The processes for synthesizing diamonds were invented way back in the 1940’s. The first commercially viable processes were developed during the 1950s. In general, there are two primary methods of synthesizing diamonds.
High Pressure, High Temperature Diamonds
High pressure, high temperature diamonds are formed by delivering dissolved carbon to a seed diamond crystal that is located under high pressures and high temperature. The dissolved carbon precipitates out of the solvent onto the seed crystal, which allows the diamond to build around the seed.
Carbon Vapor Deposition Diamonds
Carbon vapor deposition diamonds are formed by etching a non-diamond substrate and exposing it to an ionized hydrocarbon vapor at a controlled temperature and pressure. This process has an advantage over the previous one, since the temperatures and pressures needed are not as high. On top of that, the size of the diamond is only limited by the size of the substrate, so you have the ability to grow larger diamonds. However, one disadvantage is that the process is difficult to scale up compared to the high pressure, high temperature method.
What Are The Properties of Industrial Diamonds?
Both synthetic and natural diamonds have the same chemistry and structure. Although sometimes synthetic diamonds tend to be more uniform in their characteristics due to a lack of impurities that may be found in natural diamonds. Diamonds are the hardest naturally occuring substance on earth and they also have the highest thermal conductivity of any naturally occurring substance. Diamonds are generally clear and colorless, but impurities within the diamond can result in colored or cloudy diamonds. Learn more about the properties of diamonds with the 4 C’s:
How Are Industrial Diamonds Used?
Since diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth, they can be used for an assortment of industrial tasks which includes grinding, abrading, or cutting every other material including other diamonds. Diamonds also have a high thermal conductivity, which contributes to their effectiveness in grinding, cutting, and abrading by carrying heat away from the surface. This is an important factor, because the glazing of tool surfaces and blades occurs when the tool has been heated to the point that the tool surface melts.
It is common to use diamonds as part of a concrete polishing system to create polished concrete floors. Using diamonds are key to this process, and many others, because the tools and systems are more efficient since fewer passes are needed. On top of that, diamonds create longer-lasting tools, which means less waste.
Contact Lieber & Solow
Lieber & Solow has years of experience working in the industrial diamond industry and offers each and every customer a great selection of diamonds to choose from. Get high-quality industrial diamonds that can fit a variety of tasks, including in the manufacturing of diamond tools. So please, do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
When you reach out, we will gladly answer any questions you may have about our industry and various industrial diamonds. You can also give us a call at your convenience. The number to dial is 212-354-4060. When you call, we can provide you with a helpful consultation to go over any questions you have about the diamond industry.