South Korean scientists have developed a breakthrough technology that could transform the synthetic diamond market by significantly reducing production costs. This research has been published in the journal Nature.
Natural diamonds, known for being the hardest, most beautiful, and most expensive minerals, form about 200 km beneath the Earth’s surface under high pressures and temperatures around 1,000 degrees Celsius. Their extraction is both complex and costly.
Previously existing technologies to create synthetic diamonds simulate this natural process, requiring high temperatures and pressures, commonly spanning several weeks to produce. However, researchers from South Korea have now managed to reduce the production time to just 150 minutes.
The scientists dissolved pure carbon in a complex metal mix, including gallium, iron, nickel, and silicon, which significantly decreased the required pressure. The initial stages of diamond formation from the metal begin within 15 minutes, and a continuous diamond film appears after 2.5 hours.
The researchers are planning further studies to increase production capacity and generate even more diamonds, potentially making this method a game-changer for both industrial and gem-quality synthetic diamond markets.
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