JerryRigEverything - How to make your own Diamonds - (easiest method)
The video takes viewers inside a large industrial diamond manufacturing facility, US Synthetic, to demonstrate the process of creating polycrystalline black diamonds. The process begins with monolithic diamond polishing powder and cobalt from tungsten carbide. These ingredients are placed in a thimble and subjected to over 1 million PSI of pressure using a massive diamond press. The press uses clean white table salt to center the diamond molds inside a metal cylinder, which is then placed in a block of talc. This method ensures that the cleanup process is safe, non-toxic, and simple. The resulting diamond is attached to a tungsten carbide substrate, which can be used as a mounting location for drill heads or ground away to leave just the diamond. A scratch test confirms the diamond's hardness, as it remains unmarked by a level 9 hardness test, proving that only a diamond can scratch another diamond.
Key Points:
- Industrial diamonds are made using extreme pressure and heat, starting with diamond polishing powder and cobalt.
- The process involves centering diamond molds with salt and talc, ensuring safe and simple cleanup.
- A massive press applies over 1 million PSI to create the diamonds, demonstrating the need for significant force.
- The resulting diamonds are attached to tungsten carbide, useful for mounting or can be separated.
- A scratch test confirms the diamond's hardness, as only a diamond can scratch another diamond.
Details:
1. 🏭 Inside a Diamond Manufacturing Facility
- The facility is one of the world's largest industrial diamond manufacturers, demonstrating its significant scale and capacity.
- The production involves advanced machinery capable of manufacturing Mo 10 level polycrystalline diamonds, ensuring high-quality, durable products.
- The manufacturing process begins with the selection of raw materials, which are then subjected to high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) synthesis to form diamond crystals.
- Post-synthesis, the diamonds undergo precise cutting and shaping using laser technology to achieve the desired specifications.
- Quality control measures include rigorous testing for durability and performance, ensuring each product meets industry standards.
- The facility's focus on Mo 10 level polycrystalline diamonds emphasizes their application in demanding industrial environments due to their enhanced toughness.
2. 🔬 Ingredients and Initial Steps in Diamond Making
- Making diamonds is both simple in its basic requirements and complex in execution.
- Key ingredients for artificial diamond creation include Monolithic Diamond polishing powder and cobalt, a critical component sourced from cobalt cemented tungsten carbide.
- The process requires extreme heat and pressure, mimicking natural conditions, to form diamonds.
- Cobalt plays a pivotal role in binding the diamond particles together, ensuring the structural integrity of the final product.
- The initial steps in diamond making involve carefully measuring and mixing these ingredients to create a base that can withstand the synthetic environment necessary for diamond formation.
3. 💎 The Diamond Press: Creating High Pressure
- The diamond press can create two diamonds simultaneously using clean white table salt to center the diamond molds.
- The press focuses over 1 million PSI onto the diamond mold, enabling the formation of diamonds.
- The pressure exerted by the diamond press is equivalent to 2,000 elephants stacked on a Rubik's Cube, 900 school buses on a Post-It note, or the Eiffel Tower in the palm of your hand.
4. 🌱 Safe and Simple Cleanup Process
- The diamond mold is created from salt and talc powder, ensuring it is non-toxic and simple to clean up, which is vital for maintaining safety standards in manufacturing environments.
- The diamond remains attached to its tungsten carbide substrate, which is often used as a mounting location for each drill head tooth, indicating its practical application in tooling.
- An option exists to grind away the tungsten carbide base completely, leaving only the black diamond, providing flexibility in post-production processes.
- This cleanup process is essential for ensuring the safe handling and disposal of materials, reducing environmental and health risks associated with traditional methods.
5. 🔍 The Scratch Test: Verifying Diamond Hardness
- The scratch test confirmed diamond hardness by showing no marks or scratches when tested with a Mohs hardness scale of 9, emphasizing that only another diamond can scratch it.
- The Mohs hardness scale ranks minerals from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond), and the test demonstrated the diamond's superior hardness by its resistance to scratching by materials rated at 9.
- This test's results reaffirm the diamond's use in industrial applications where cutting or abrasion resistance is critical, such as drill bits and saw blades.