Natural diamonds

Very small synthetic diamonds have been made industrially by subjecting graphite to pressures in the range 5.5-b.9 GN m , at temperatures between 1500 and 2700 K. The diamonds produced are very small but competitive with natural diamonds for use in industrial cutting and grinding wheels. 

Natural diamonds are found in kimberlite of ancient volcanic "pipes," found in South Africa, Arkansas, and elsewhere. Diamonds are now also being recovered from the ocean floor off the Cape of Good Hope. About 30% of all industrial diamonds used in the U.S. are now made synthetically. 

Diamond. Diamond [7782 0-3] is the hardest substance known (see Carbon, diamond, natural). It has a Knoop hardness of 78—80 kN/m (8000—8200 kgf/m ). The next hardest substance is cubic boron nitride with a Knoop value of 46 kN/m, and its inventor, Wentorf, beheves that no manufactured material will ever exceed diamond s hardness (17). In 1987 the world production of natural industrial diamonds (4) was about 110 t (1 g = 5 carats). It should be noted that whereas the United States was the leading consumer of industrial diamonds in 1987 (140 t) only 260 kg of natural industrial diamonds were consumed this is the lowest figure in 48 years (4), illustrating the impact that synthetic diamonds have made on the natural diamond abrasive market. 

A thin layer of dark green beryl had been grown by a hydrothermal technique over the surface of a pale beryl to imitate emerald. It has been suggested that such stones should be called synthetic emerald-beryl doublets (16). The abiHty to grow thin, but not thick, single-crystal diamond on the surface of natural diamond (17) leads to the possibiHty of growing such a thin film colored blue with boron this has been done experimentally (18). 

A wide range of cutting-tool materials is available. Properties, performance capabilities, and cost vary widely (2,7). Various steels (see Steel) cast cobalt alloys (see Cobalt and cobalt alloys) cemented, cast, and coated carbides (qv) ceramics (qv), sintered polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (cBN) (see Boron compounds) and sintered polycrystalline diamond tbin diamond coatings on cemented carbides and ceramics and single-crystal natural diamond (see Carbon) are all used as tool materials. Most tool materials used in the 1990s were developed during the twentieth century. The tool materials of the 1990s... 

The main siUcate iaclusions ia natural diamond are pyroxenes and garnet [12178-41 -5] and the understanding of the conditions of their formation from laboratory studies is the basis for the determination of the P—T conditions when diamond was formed (2—6). CO, CO2, H2, H2O are also found ia diamond (20), and it is possible that diamond nucleated and grew ia a Hquid ia a C—H—O system, perhaps immiscible, but ia equiUbrium with the siUcate matrix (4). Graphite [7440-44-0] is also a common iaclusion ia natural diamond. 

Venus probe. References should be consulted for the details of the optical transparency of the different type diamonds (9,14,16—19). The direct band gap for diamond is 5.47 eV. Natural diamond exhibits many colors, and color modification by irradiation and annealing is common (36). Though cubic, most natural diamonds show strain birefringence under crossed polaroids. 

Soon after the first successful diamond synthesis by the solvent—catalyst process, a pilot plant for producing synthetic diamond was estabUshed, the efficiency of the operation was increased, production costs declined, and product performance was improved while the uses of diamond were extended. Today the price of synthesized diamond is competitive with that of natural diamonds. 

Total worldwide sales of iadustrial diamond are currentiy about one biUion dollars (ca 100 t) per year. They are made in 16 countries the largest producers are General Electric, De Beers, which also has a large stake in natural diamonds, several Japanese firms, the People s RepubHc of China, and Russia. The market is very competitive, and manufacturers are reluctant to disclose detailed sales information. 

Natural diamonds used for jewellery and for industrial purposes have been mined for centuries. The principal diamond mining centres are in Zaire, Russia, The Republic of South Africa, and Botswana. Synthetic diamonds are made by dissolving graphite in metals and crystallising diamonds at high pressure (12-15 GPa) and temperatures in the range 1500-2000 K [6] see section 3. More recently, polycrystalline diamond films have been made at low pressures by... 

SlimDril drill bils are manufaclured from polycrystalline vi/ith natural diamonds on the face of the bit for oil and natural gas drilling. 

Natural diamonds are divided into three categories. First are the carbonate or black diamonds. These are the hardest and most expensive diamonds. They are used primarily as gage reinforcement at the shockpoint. Second are the West African diamonds. These are used in abrasive formations and usually are of gemstone quality. About 80% of the West African diamonds are pointed in shape and, therefore, 20% are the desirable spherical shape. Third are the Congo or coated diamonds. These are the most common category. Over 98% of these diamonds are spherical by nature. They are extremely effective in soft... 

Greater bit design freedom is generally available with matrix body bits because they are cast in a moldlike natural diamond bits. Thus, matrix body bits typically have more complex profiles and incorporate cast nozzles and waterways. In addition to the advantages of bit face configuration and erosion resistance with matrix body bits, diamond compact matrix bits often utilize natural... 

Five letters are presently defined D—natural diamond/matrix body, M—PDC/ matrix body, S—PDC/steel body, T—TSP/matrix body, O—other. 

The term PDC is defined as polycrystalline diamond compact. The term TSP is defined as thermally stable polycrystalline diamond. TSP materials are composed of manufactured polycrystalline diamond which has the thermal stability of natural diamond. This is accomplished through the removal of trace impurities and in some cases the filling of lattice structure pore spaces with a material of compatible thermal expansion coefficient. 

A special case is defined the numbers 6 and 9 describe the crowfoot/water course design of most natural diamond and many TSP bits. Such designs are further described as having either radial flow, crossflow (feeder/collector), or other hydraulics. Thus, the letters R (radial flow), X (crossflow), or O (other) are used as the hydraulic design code for such bits. 

Figure 4-162 shows a natural diamond drill bit which has a long outer taper and medium inner cone, radial flow fluid courses, and five to six stones per carat (spc) diamonds set with a medium placement density. Using the definitions in Figures 4-156, 4-158, 4-159, and 4-160, the characteristics of this bit are coded D 2 R 5 as follows ... 

CtriTER SIZE NATURAL DIAMONDS RANGES stoiMs p r carat SYNmcnC DIAMONDS usable cutter height ... 

D—natural diamond, matrix body 2—long taper, medium cone R—open throat/open face radial flow 5—med. cutter size, med. placement density... 

Figure 4-164 shows a steel body core bit with a long-taper, stepped profile fitted with impregnated natural diamond blocks as the primary cutting elements. The bit has no inner cone. Since there is no specific code for the natural diamond/steel body combination, the letter O (other) is used as the cutter type/ body material code. The profile code 3 is used to describe the long outer taper with little or no inner cone depth. The hydraulic design code 5 indicates a fixed... 

Figure 4-162. Example of natural diamond bit with radial flow hydraulic design [54], (Courtesy SPE.)...

The section describes the first lADC standardized system for dull grading natural diamond, PDC, and TSP (thermally stable polycrystalline diamond) bits, otherwise known as fixed cutter bits [55]. The new system is consistent with the recently revised dull grading system for roller bits. It describes the condition of the cutting structure, the primary (with location) and secondary dull characteristics, the gage condition, and the reason the bit was pulled. 

Diamond is obtained as a polycrystalline material by CVD with properties similar to these of natural diamond. Efforts to produce single crystal thin films have so far been largely unsuccessful. 

Heat sinks, in the form of thin slices prepared from single-crystal natural diamond, are already used commercially but are limited in size to approximately 3x3x1 mm. These single-crystal diamonds are gradually being replaced by CVD diamond, which is now available in shapes up to 15 cm in diameter. P6]-[28] gQg - gf cVD diamond may remain a... 

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