It is not every day that scientists make space gems. In China, researchers have created a rare diamond once only seen in meteorites. This is the hexagonal diamond, a crystal thought to be tougher than regular Earth diamonds.
Rare Hexagonal Diamond Made in Controlled Lab Process
The study appeared Wednesday in Nature. It explained how scientists from the Centre for High-Pressure Science & Technology Advanced Research turned graphite into a pure hexagonal diamond. The process used high heat, high pressure and controlled conditions. Ordinary diamonds are strong but can slip along certain planes. Hexagonal diamonds, also called lonsdaleites, have a tighter atomic pattern. Past lab efforts often produced standard cubic diamonds instead. This success came from using pure graphite crystals and tracking changes with X-ray imaging.
Researchers See New Uses for Superhard Materials
Lead scientist Yang Liuxiang said the method solved long-standing problems in diamond synthesis. Ho-kwang Mao, a high-pressure science expert, called it a new path for superhard materials and advanced electronics. He noted that using pure graphite and live monitoring stopped defects. This gave perfectly shaped hexagonal diamond samples. The diamond, only hundred microns wide, could be used in extreme durability industries. It may beat standard diamonds in both mechanical and electronic work.
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