The average layperson feels a sense of wonder when thoughts of tool diamonds tickle their consciousness. Diamonds, one of the most precious gems known to man, are being used to cut concrete and tiles. What an extraordinary thought. However, it’s not as if a jewellery-grade gem is mounted in a tool spindle. No, tiny, artificially manufactured diamonds are used in their stead.
Creating Diamonds Out Of Thin-Air
Over thousands of years, the Earth’s mantle crushes carbon deposits until they take on that rare, iconic crystalline form. Even then, the gems require volcanic energies to reach the surface. Synthetic diamonds are neither expensive nor rare. They’re made in machines. For example, CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) diamonds condense out of carbon, hydrogen and methane, then they’re deposited as tiny black crystals.
Synthetic Gems Power Electronic Circuits
Silicon-cemented and CVD diamonds possess superior electrical conductivity ratings. That’s an invaluable attribute, especially in a field that relies on low power consumption values. These next-gen microchips, fitted with synthetic gems, could herald a new level of super-fast electronics engineering. Using diamonds to speed data processing, this could be the next leap forward in computing technology.
Diamond-Equipped Heat Sinks
Lab-made gemstones are also finding their way into machine heatsinks. They’re already popular as electrical conductors, so a similar talent for absorbing and redirecting thermal energy shouldn’t come as a surprise. Again, electronics circuits are first to benefit from this feature, but wherever a compact device heatsink is required, there’ll soon be a diamond-bonded surface to take on that role.
Serving A Vast Number Of Industries
Power transistors and high-voltage switches use industrial diamonds. In the optics sector, laser arrays use the gems to focus high-frequency light spectrums. That same frequency switching feature benefits high-speed field-effect transistors, which cycle direction at blinding velocities. Ophthalmological scalpels, holography displays, X-Ray radiation detectors and way more besides, all of these applications are on course to accelerate as newly affordable lab growing processes develop.
Last in this fascinating list, there’s the abrasive tools sector to explore. Diamonds, even those synthetic gems, are nearly indestructible. They can cut glass or pretty much any type of stone. That’s why abrasive discs use sintered or specially bonded layers of those black, CVD produced jewels. They cut through concrete and quartz in a way that no other abrasive material can match. Sure, they wear out as they rub against the hardened stones, but there’s a second or third layer waiting to take over the cutting action. As a final industrial example, these super-tough diamonds also coat oil and mining drill bits. Expect to find them carrying out the bulk of the work as drills and saws quarry rock, mine ore, and collect soil samples, too.
