In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers from South Korea’s Institute for Basic Science have developed a new method to produce diamonds in just 150 minutes using a special liquid metal mix. This new technique eliminates the need for the immense pressure typically required for diamond production and offers a faster and more efficient alternative.
Led by the team, this method utilizes a specific blend of liquid metals – gallium, iron, nickel, and silicon – heated rapidly in a vacuum chamber with methane and hydrogen gases. Under these conditions, carbon atoms become suspended in the liquid metal, forming diamond crystal seeds in just 15 minutes. Tiny diamond fragments then emerge, and a continuous diamond film can be formed within 150 minutes.
The researchers acknowledge limitations such as the current diamond film’s depth but are confident that improvements can be made through a larger growth area and optimized carbon distribution methods. This groundbreaking technique has the potential to revolutionize diamond production in various fields, including industrial applications, electronics, and even quantum computers. The study’s authors believe that this liquid metal approach can be further developed to grow diamonds on diverse surfaces and existing diamond particles.
The study was published in the journal Nature, offering a promising solution for a faster, easier, and more efficient way to produce diamonds that could benefit many industries worldwide.