Diamonds are already known to be the hardest natural material on earth, but a group of Japanese scientists set out to try and make them even harder.
A research team led by Ehime University successfully synthesized what they are claiming to be the world’s hardest artificial diamond, a professor from the university told the press on Saturday.
Working jointly with Osaka-based Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd (SEI) since March of last year, the research team used ultra-high-pressure synthesizing machinery which made the development of this phenomenal diamond much easier.
The super hard diamond, which was engineered to be cylindrical in shape, has been named “Hime” by its creators.
While
diamonds like this were successfully synthesized in 2003, scientists were only able to generate stones that reached a maximum of 1 millimeter in diameter. These new stones, however, measure more than 1cm in diameter and length and exhibit a warm amber color.
Dubbed the hardest artificial diamond in the world, this new gemological creation is notably stronger than natural diamonds making it particularly useful to a wide array of industries and industrial activities.
“A large Hime diamond is useful for experiments to study the high-pressure deep interior of the Earth,” said Tetsu Irifune, head of the Matsuyama, Ehime University’s Geodynamics Research Center. “Also, as a product for industrial use its lifetime is several times longer than that of an ordinary diamond.
According to Tetsuo Irifune, head of the Matsuyama, Ehime University’s Geodynamics Research Center, the team is now working hard to commercialize the diamond by as early as next year.
