Diamonds are an example of how extraordinary chemistry is when combined over time, over a lot of time. Chemically, the graphite in pencils, the charcoal in a barbecue, and diamonds are all made of the same element: carbon. The difference is the process to which they have been subjected. Diamonds, for example, are like “coal pearls”: time, heat and pressure transform them into diamonds. So creating a machine that simulates these conditions is not unthinkable. Or impossible: it is already on sale on Alibaba for the modest sum of 190,000 euros.
The machine uses what is known as the high pressure, high temperature process, or HPHT, which It basically mimics the extreme conditions that lead to the natural formation of diamonds. deep within the Earth. Diamonds are formed at a depth of about 160 kilometers below the Earth’s surface.
This machine can produce a pressure equivalent to that found at a depth of almost 200 kilometerswith temperatures exceeding 2,000 °C.
“The diamond making machine is a specific type of equipment to provide the pressure and temperature necessary for the synthesis of superhard materials – explains the website -, which is produced by ultra-high pressure of hydraulic system and the high temperature produced by the high power current through the voltage.”
While the results are very good, there are even more complex (and expensive) machines to produce diamonds more efficiently, such as those that use the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique. This device It works by placing a fine diamond “seed” into a vacuum chamberin which carbon-rich gases are heated into plasma, leaving pure carbon atoms gradually accumulating around them.
And yet, a machine like this is not for blowing and making bottles (or diamonds): either of the two methods of growing diamonds requires a lot of experiencenot to mention the significant upfront costs that go beyond what you spend on the machine itself.
Both machines will require diamond seeds which you will likely have to buy in bulk (also available on Alibaba). For the CVD process, you would also have to purchase the carbon-rich gases that break down into pure carbon, such as methane. On the other hand, the HPHT process will require graphite to provide the carbon, in addition to metals such as iron and nickel to act as catalysts.
However, this is still generally considered cheaper (and in many cases more ethical, in terms of environmental and human costs) than diamond mining. And the costs involved are also falling.In 2008, producing a diamond using the CVD technique cost 4,000 euros per carat.. Today, its price is estimated to be “barely” between €300 and €500.