A diamond has appeared in China that is several times stronger than natural ones.
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Chinese scientists have created an ultra-hard hexagonal diamond
Chinese scientists from Jilin University have successfully synthesized an ultra-hard hexagonal diamond in the laboratory. This artificial crystal was found to be 40% harder than a natural diamond, reports China Daily.
Lonsdaleite is a rare form of carbon with a hexagonal structure. It was discovered in a meteorite in Arizona in 1967. This material has unique properties due to the hexagonal structure of the crystal.
The scientists managed to synthesize hexagonal diamonds that differ from natural diamonds in their size and purity. To obtain these crystals, a pressure exceeding that of the Earth's atmosphere by 300,000 times is required. The resulting synthetic diamonds have a diameter of 1.2 millimeters.
'Lonsdaleite can be used in areas where natural diamonds have certain limitations, due to its hardness, thermal stability, and other properties,' explained one of the university professors.
Until now, lonsdaleite was found in small quantities at the same Time as meteorite falls. But now Chinese scientists have managed to synthesize hexagonal diamonds almost without impurities by heating compressed graphite.
Due to its unique properties, synthetic diamond could become a promising material for the production of superhard materials, especially for cutting and polishing. Other countries have also conducted similar experiments but did not achieve such results due to the limited capabilities of the extraction methods.
Recently, scientists discovered asteroid 2024 YR4, which has a small probability of colliding with Earth in 2032. Despite this, astronomers continue to monitor the trajectory of this asteroid for more accurate data.
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