Can a diamond burn. The Surprising Truth: Can Diamonds Actually Burn and Vanish?

Can diamonds really burn up and disappear. How does the combustion of diamonds work. What temperature is required for diamonds to ignite. Do diamonds leave behind any residue when they burn.

The Nature of Diamonds: Carbon-Based Gems

Diamonds, renowned for their hardness and brilliance, are essentially pure crystalline carbon. Despite their reputation for durability, these precious gems can indeed burn under specific conditions. This phenomenon challenges the common perception of diamonds as indestructible.

The chemical composition of diamonds is identical to that of graphite, differing only in their molecular structure. This shared carbon basis makes diamonds susceptible to combustion, much like other carbon-based materials.

The Science Behind Diamond Combustion

When exposed to high temperatures in the presence of oxygen, diamonds undergo a chemical reaction similar to other carbon-containing substances. The carbon atoms in the diamond react with oxygen in the air, forming carbon dioxide (CO2) gas.

How does this process occur? The heat breaks the strong bonds between carbon atoms in the diamond’s crystal structure, allowing them to combine with oxygen molecules. This reaction is exothermic, meaning it releases energy in the form of heat and light, resulting in the observed flame.

Ignition Temperature of Diamonds

The ignition temperature of diamonds varies depending on the environmental conditions. In pure oxygen, diamonds can ignite at temperatures between 690°C and 840°C (1274°F to 1544°F). However, in regular air, which contains only about 21% oxygen, a higher temperature is required.

According to physicist Christopher Baird, diamonds in room temperature air ignite at approximately 1,652°F (900°C). This is significantly higher than the ignition points of other common materials like wood or coal.

The Burning Process of Diamonds

Once ignited, how do diamonds burn? The process is quite fascinating:

1. Initial heating causes the diamond to glow red, then white.
2. The diamond’s surface reacts with oxygen, forming carbon monoxide (CO).
3. As burning continues, the diamond gradually decreases in size.
4. The flame appears pale blue and can continue burning even after the heat source is removed (in pure oxygen).
5. Finally, the diamond will completely disappear, leaving no ash or residue in ideal conditions.

Factors Affecting Diamond Combustion

Several factors influence the burning process of diamonds:

• Oxygen concentration: Pure oxygen environments facilitate easier and more complete combustion.
• Sustained heat: In regular air, constant heat application is necessary to maintain combustion.
• Diamond purity: Impurities in diamonds can affect the burning process and potentially leave residue.
• Size and cut of the diamond: These factors can influence how quickly and evenly the diamond burns.

Impurities and Their Impact on Diamond Burning

While theoretically, a pure diamond should burn without leaving any ash, this is rarely the case in reality. Most natural diamonds contain impurities that contribute to their unique characteristics, including color.

How do impurities affect the burning process? Nitrogen, a common impurity in diamonds, and other trace elements can lead to the formation of residual ash when the diamond is burned. These impurities may not combust completely, leaving behind microscopic traces.

Practical Applications and Implications

The combustibility of diamonds has several practical implications:

• Jewelry safety: Understanding diamond combustion is crucial for jewelry care, especially in high-heat situations.
• Insurance claims: There are documented cases of diamonds being destroyed in fires, leading to insurance payouts.
• Scientific research: The study of diamond combustion contributes to our understanding of carbon-based materials and their properties.
• Gemological testing: Controlled heating can be used in certain gemological tests, though not to the point of combustion.

Debunking Myths and Misconceptions

The ability of diamonds to burn challenges several common misconceptions:

• Indestructibility myth: While extremely durable, diamonds are not indestructible.
• “Diamonds are forever” slogan: This marketing phrase doesn’t account for extreme conditions like high heat.
• Confusion with melting: Diamonds don’t melt in the conventional sense but rather undergo a phase change directly from solid to gas (sublimation) when heated sufficiently.

The Role of Oxygen in Diamond Combustion

Why is oxygen crucial for diamond combustion? Oxygen acts as the oxidizing agent in the chemical reaction. Without oxygen, diamonds wouldn’t burn but would instead undergo a different process called graphitization at extremely high temperatures.

In a low-oxygen environment, how would a diamond react to high heat? The diamond might turn into graphite rather than combusting, a process that occurs at temperatures above 1,500°C (2,732°F) in the absence of oxygen.

Comparing Diamond Combustion to Other Materials

How does diamond combustion compare to the burning of other materials?

• Coal: Ignites at about 1,233°F (667°C), lower than diamonds due to its less compact carbon structure.
• Wood: Typically ignites at 572°F (300°C) or less, significantly lower than diamonds.
• Graphite: Despite being chemically identical to diamond, it ignites more easily due to its layered structure.

Why do these materials burn at different temperatures? The variation is due to differences in molecular structure, purity, and the strength of chemical bonds within each material.

The Unique Flame of Burning Diamonds

What color is the flame when a diamond burns? Observers report a pale blue flame, which is characteristic of carbon combustion. This blue color is due to the emission spectrum of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide formed during the burning process.

Is the diamond flame different from other burning materials? Yes, the clean, pale blue flame of a burning diamond is distinct from the often yellow or orange flames seen when burning wood or other carbon-based materials that contain additional elements.

Historical and Cultural Perspectives on Diamond Combustion

The combustibility of diamonds has been known for centuries, influencing various cultural and historical narratives:

• Ancient beliefs: Some cultures believed diamonds could protect against fire, a myth disproven by their combustibility.
• Alchemical experiments: Early alchemists sometimes used diamond combustion in their quest to understand the nature of matter.
• Royal demonstrations: There are historical accounts of wealthy individuals demonstrating their wealth by burning diamonds at parties.

How has the knowledge of diamond combustion evolved over time? Scientific understanding has progressed from early observations to detailed chemical and physical explanations, contributing to our broader knowledge of carbon-based materials.

Ethical and Environmental Considerations

The combustibility of diamonds raises ethical and environmental questions:

• Resource conservation: Burning diamonds, while scientifically interesting, can be seen as wasteful of a valuable natural resource.
• Carbon footprint: The combustion of diamonds releases CO2, contributing (albeit minimally) to greenhouse gas emissions.
• Laboratory alternatives: Using synthetic diamonds for combustion experiments can mitigate some ethical concerns.

How do these considerations impact scientific research and gemological practices? They encourage the use of alternative materials when possible and promote responsible use of natural diamonds in research and industry.

Future Research and Applications

The study of diamond combustion continues to be relevant in various fields:

• Materials science: Understanding diamond combustion contributes to the development of heat-resistant materials.
• Astrophysics: The behavior of carbon under extreme conditions informs theories about planetary formation and stellar processes.
• Nanotechnology: Research into diamond nanoparticles and their combustion properties may lead to new applications in medicine and technology.

What potential future applications might arise from this research? Possibilities include advanced heat shields, new methods for carbon sequestration, and innovative approaches to energy storage and conversion.

The Role of Diamond Combustion in Gemology

How does the knowledge of diamond combustion impact gemology? While gemologists don’t typically burn diamonds, understanding their thermal properties is crucial for:

• Differentiating between natural and synthetic diamonds
• Assessing the potential risks of certain heat treatments
• Developing new non-destructive testing methods

Can thermal properties be used to identify diamond simulants? Yes, materials like cubic zirconia and moissanite have different thermal conductivities and behaviors under heat, which can be used in their identification without risking combustion.

Conclusion: Diamonds are Not Forever, But Their Legacy Is

The ability of diamonds to burn challenges our perceptions of their permanence while simultaneously highlighting the fascinating properties of carbon. This phenomenon serves as a reminder of the dynamic nature of even the most seemingly indestructible substances in our world.

As we continue to explore and understand the properties of diamonds, including their combustibility, we gain not only scientific knowledge but also a deeper appreciation for the complexity and wonder of the natural world. The burning diamond, in its brief and brilliant flame, embodies the transformative power of scientific understanding, forever changing how we view these precious gems.

Can Diamonds Actually Burn? – International Gem Society

Question: I came across this statement and was wondering if anyone can verify it:

A diamond is the hardest natural substance on earth, but if it is placed in an oven and the temperature is raised to about 763º Celsius (1405º Fahrenheit), it will simply vanish, without even ash remaining. Only a little carbon dioxide will have been released.

Is this true? Can diamonds burn up and simply vanish?

Diamonds can occur in rocks like kimberlite, which form as magma cools. Photo by James St. John. Licensed under CC By 2.0.

Answer: Although diamonds originate deep underground and form under extreme temperatures, diamonds can indeed burn under certain conditions.

Diamonds Burn Like Anything Carbon

As pure crystalline carbon (C), diamonds have the exact same chemistry as graphite (though they have different molecular structures). If strongly heated in the presence of oxygen (air), carbon will react with the oxygen (burn) to form carbon dioxide gas (CO₂). Other compounds containing carbon, such as plant material or flesh, will decompose quickly when heated strongly. At normal temperatures and in the presence of moisture and bacteria, they will decompose very slowly into various gases, including methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide.

We all finish up as carbon dioxide and dust eventually. Recycling, anyone?

Cheers,

John Burgess, Mapua Nelson, NZ

Impure Diamonds Burn and Leave Ashes

Yes, diamonds burn. There are many substantiated insurance claims of diamonds being destroyed in fires. As far as I know, the bit about no ash remaining is theoretical. Being pure carbon, the combustion of diamond does produce CO₂. But just how many absolutely pure diamonds exist? Any color in diamonds is produced by non-carbon impurities. In addition to the oxygen, which takes up residence on the surface of a diamond (attaching itself almost automatically to the free molecular bonding sites), most diamonds are at least partially nitrogenated.

So, technically, if you have a non-nitrogenated, flawless, pure-white diamond, you can turn it into CO₂ with the application of heat. But who would want to?

Boy, isn’t a CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics a handy thing to have around?

D.R.

How to Make Diamonds Vanish

Diamonds burn, but the temperature at which they burn depends on whether or not the diamonds are in contact with air. The temperature of diamond ignition in pure oxygen is 690º C to 840º C.

In a stream of oxygen gas, diamonds burn initially at a low red heat. They will gradually rise in temperature and reach a white heat. Then, the diamonds will burn uninterruptedly with a pale-blue flame, even after the removal of the oxygen heat source. The diamond crystals will gradually decrease in size and finally disappear. The flame at the last moment will flicker brightly and then disappear, leaving not a trace of ash or residue.

For this to take place in an air mixture, the heat must remain applied directly on the diamonds at all times. If removed, the diamonds won’t continue to burn, because oxygen diluted with nitrogen won’t support combustion.

Ron Campbell, Central Coast Gem Lab

Measuring a diamond, photo by Mauro Cateb. Licensed under CC By 2.0.

Can diamonds burn? | Live Science

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

If diamonds can burn, are they really “forever”?
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Diamonds are forever, or so the slogan goes. But with the proper application of heat and enough oxygen, a diamond can go up in smoke.

Diamonds are carbon, just like coal. It takes a bit more to get them burning and keep them burning than coal, but they will burn, as numerous YouTube demonstrations will attest. The trick is to create the right conditions so that a solid diamond can react with the oxygen required to fuel a fire.

“You have to convert that solid [carbon] into a gas form, so it can react with the air to make a flame,” said Rick Sachleben, a retired chemist and member of the American Chemical Society.

Related: Which is rarer: Gold or diamonds?

The best way to do that? Heat — and lots of it. In room temperature air, diamonds ignite at around 1,652 degrees Fahrenheit (900 degrees Celsius), according to West Texas A&M University physicist Christopher Baird. For comparison, a high-volatile coal (coal containing a relatively high amount of easily released gases) ignites at about 1,233 F (667 C), whereas wood ignites at 572 F (300 C) or less, depending on the type.

When first heated, a diamond will glow red, then white. The heat enables a reaction between the surface of the diamond and the air, converting the carbon to the colorless and odorless gas carbon monoxide (a carbon atom plus an oxygen atom).

“The carbon plus the oxygen to make carbon monoxide generates heat; the carbon monoxide reacting with the oxygen generates more heat; the rising heat causes the carbon monoxide to move away, so more oxygen is brought in,” he told Live Science.

RELATED MYSTERIES

That fire, however, will amount to only a glow. Nurturing a flame on the surface of a diamond usually requires an extra boost: 100% oxygen rather than room air, which is only 22% oxygen. This increase in concentration gives the reaction all that it needs to self-perpetuate. The carbon monoxide rising from the diamond ignites in the presence of oxygen, creating a fire that seems to dance on the stone’s surface.

“Almost everything burns incredibly in pure oxygen,” Sachleben said.

Even without pure oxygen, diamonds can be damaged by flame, according to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Typically, a diamond caught in a house fire or by an overzealous jeweler’s torch will not go up in smoke, but instead will combust on the surface enough to look cloudy and white. Cutting away the burnt portions will reveal a smaller, but once again crystal-clear, stone, according to the GIA.

When carbon burns in oxygen, that reaction produces carbon dioxide and water. A pure carbon diamond could thus theoretically vanish entirely if burned for long enough; however, most diamonds do have at least some impurities like nitrogen, so the reaction is unlikely to be quite that simple. 

Originally published on Live Science.

Stay up to date on the latest science news by signing up for our Essentials newsletter.

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors

Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science, covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver, Colorado, and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor, the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association. Stephanie received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. 

Are diamonds really forever? | New-Science.ru

Actually, chemically – no. Graphite is a more stable form of carbon. So diamond will turn into graphite. But that is not all.

The origin of the word diamond comes from the Greek word Ἀδάμας, which means “irresistible”. First discovered sometime in the 4th century BC, some of the world’s most valuable diamonds date back 100 million to billions of years ago.

Yes, diamonds are not forever. Instead, they can turn into the coolest everyday object – graphite. Yes, the same graphite that is in your pencil.

Or diamonds can simply burn to carbon dioxide.

So why can a diamond turn into graphite or burn? And how long can this last?

Diamond is an allotrope of carbon

Carbon itself is carbon. An element with atomic number 6 and a non-metal.

But when carbon bonds with other carbon atoms, it can create many structures, each with a unique set of properties. These different forms are called allotropes.

Allotropes are a feature of non-metallic elements such as carbon, silicon and phosphorus (which has as many as 6 allotropes).

Carbon has many allotropes. This is due to its valency. Carbon has four available electrons that it can share with other elements to create compounds. This valency gives it a unique flexibility to form different structures when combined with other carbons.

Diamond has an octahedral structure in which each individual carbon atom attaches to four other carbon atoms to form a kind of three-sided pyramidal structure.

Notice how the topmost carbon bonds in the diamond look like a three sided pyramid.

Other carbon allotropes form sheets (graphite and graphene), spheres (buckminsterfullerene) and even some strange nanostructures.

Graphite, not diamond, is the most stable allotrope of carbon.

Although diamond’s tetrahedral structure makes it the hardest substance known to mankind, it is not the most stable form of carbon.

This title belongs to graphite.

You see, diamond is a metastable structure of carbon. Metastable in chemistry means that the structure is more or less stable under certain conditions, but there is an even more stable state.

A common analogy is to imagine a ball rolling down a valley. The most stable place for the ball will be the bottom of the valley (as seen from the deeper valley in the picture below).

Now imagine that the ball is stuck in a smaller hole (smaller valley where the ball can be seen).

The ball is stable in the smaller well, but since the well is higher than the valley floor, this is not the most stable state. But the ball will remain there unless work is done to get the ball out of the well and down to the bottom of the valley.

Understanding the stability of chemicals.

Our diamond is like a ball in a well, and graphite is like a ball at the foot of a hill.

Chemically speaking, diamond is kinetically stable because it is trapped in a well, whereas it is thermodynamically unstable because there is a more stable form of graphite that it can turn into under the right conditions.

So why don’t diamonds turn into graphite?

So, if there is a more stable form, why didn’t all diamonds turn into graphite? For two reasons.

First, the diamond is stable in the conditions that exist on Earth. In addition, graphite is only a few electron volts more stable than diamond (on Earth). The difference in the stability of diamond and graphite on Earth is not so great.

Second, it takes a lot of energy to convert diamond to graphite.

In other words, the energy required to bring a diamond out of the well to the bottom of the valley, where it turns into graphite, is very high.

Chemists and geologists tried to turn diamond into graphite. They found that when a diamond is compressed with an indenter (basically a sharp object that can pierce the diamond), the surface of the diamond in contact with the indenter turns into graphite.

If squeezing a diamond isn’t your style, scientists have also found that low pressure and very high temperatures (1500 to 1900 degrees Celsius or more) will work. Add iron to the mixture and this will speed up the process (called graphitisation).

Diamonds also have their weaknesses

However, do not subject diamonds to high pressures if you want to turn it into graphite. Diamonds are more stable at high pressure than graphite, which is why they form in the Earth’s mantle (and even occasionally on asteroids). However, under certain conditions, diamonds can turn into graphite even under high pressure.

How long will diamonds last?

With that said, a diamond on your engagement ring or crown of the Queen of England will most likely last forever.

But if you use your diamond as a tool for cutting or grinding things, especially things made of iron, then you might want to look into it.

The part of the diamond that comes into contact with iron (or whatever the diamond cuts) can get hot enough to turn into graphite. If even tiny bits of diamond turn into graphite every time you cut something, the diamond will eventually turn completely into graphite.

Or you can simply burn a diamond with just a magnifying glass and the sun. This is exactly what they did in 1694 years, two people, naturalist Giuseppe Averani and physician Cipriano Targioni from Florence. They took a magnifying glass and shone sunlight on the diamond, and the stone disappeared.

The question is whether a diamond burns in fire. Can a diamond be melted? A stone with an ancient history

Diamond is a precious stone, but its properties were appreciated by physicists only in the 16th century. And this despite the fact that the stone was found several centuries earlier. Of course, in order to appreciate the full significance of the mineral, it took a lot of experiments. They gave information about the hardness of the stone, the melting point of the diamond, and other physical characteristics. But since then, the stone has been used not only as a beautiful accessory, but also for industrial purposes.

The evaluation was carried out in special laboratories. And as a result, the chemical composition of diamond, the structure of its crystal lattice, and several phenomena were discovered.

Melting of diamond

Experiments related to the melting temperature

As is known, the crystal lattice of a substance has the shape of a tetrahedron with covalent bonds between carbon atoms. It is possible that this structure was the reason for several discoveries related to the melting of diamond.

Encyclopedias of minerals give indicators of diamond melting of 3700-4000 degrees Celsius. But this is not entirely accurate information, since they do not lend themselves to generally accepted patterns. In particular, the following effects were found during melting:

• Using high temperatures (2000 degrees Celsius without oxygen), diamond can be turned into graphite. At the same time, the further behavior of this substance with increasing temperature defies logical explanation. But the process cannot be reversed. In extreme cases, you can get a synthetic stone, the crystal lattice of which will differ from natural diamonds.
• If the stone is heated to a temperature of 850-1000 degrees Celsius, it turns into carbon dioxide, that is, it disappears without a trace. Such an experiment was carried out in 1694 by researchers from Italy Targioni and Averani, trying to melt the stones and combine them into one diamond.
• Research was also carried out in 2010 in California, where a group of physicists concluded that it was impossible to achieve diamond melting if the temperature of the stone was gradually increased. To find out the melting index, it is necessary, in addition to temperature, to influence the diamond with pressure, and this makes measurement difficult. To really convert the diamond into a liquid state, scientists needed to make a lot of effort. To do this, they used laser pulses that acted on the stone for several nanoseconds. At the same time, the stone in liquid form was obtained at a pressure 40 million times higher than atmospheric pressure at sea level. In addition, if the pressure dropped to 11 million atmospheres, and the temperature on the surface of the mineral was 50 thousand Kelvin, then hard pieces appeared on the stone. They did not sink in the rest of the liquid and outwardly resembled pieces of ice. With a further decrease in the pressure indicator, the pieces accumulated, forming “icebergs” afloat. Scientists have compared that this is how carbon behaves in the composition of the planets Neptune and Uranus, on the surface of these celestial bodies there are also oceans with liquid diamond. But in order to prove this assumption, it is necessary to send satellites to the planets, which at the moment cannot be quickly implemented.
• If you act on a stone with short light pulses in the ultraviolet range, then small depressions will appear in the mineral. Thus, the experiment confirms the disappearance of the stone under the action of powerful ultraviolet, that is, the transformation of diamond into carbon dioxide. Therefore, diamond-based ultraviolet lasers quickly break down and become unusable. But don’t worry about the fact that the diamond on the jewelry will disappear over time: to remove one microgram of the mineral, you have to keep the diamond under ultraviolet light for about 10 billion years.

So, the melting index is an interesting characteristic of a diamond. It is still a subject for study. With the advent of technology, scientists are finding new ways to test this characteristic. Based on it, one can draw conclusions about the origin of the stone, discover new ways to use diamond.

This state, located on the border of crystalline and molten forms, will not only help to better understand the structure and characteristics of diamond, but will also reveal the secrets of distant planets.

“Diamonds can be called a chemical compound familiar to the Earth. However, in order to melt it, it is not enough just high temperature – extremely high pressure is also necessary, which, in turn, makes it difficult to regulate heating,” says one of the authors of the study Hermann Eggert.

Scientists once succeeded in melting a diamond, but during that experiment, the scientific team could not properly regulate the process and measure the parameters. It can be said that the result of that experiment was accidental.

Diamonds are an exceptionally strong material, and this alone makes melting them a formidable task. But, in addition, there is another feature that makes the process almost impossible. The fact is that when the temperature rises, diamonds do not want to retain their nature and change their physical properties, turning into graphite. And already this compound turns into a liquid. The scientists had to go to the trick – to bring the diamond to the point where it begins to turn into graphite, and keep it in it.

The gas giants Uranus and Neptune are one of the few places in the universe known to us where ultra-high temperatures combine with super-high pressure. To replicate these natural conditions, Eggert and his colleagues placed a ten-carat, half-millimeter-thick natural diamond into a laser machine that can generate enormous pressure.

At a pressure 40 million times higher than the pressure on Earth at sea level, the diamond turned into a liquid substance. After that, the scientists began to gradually reduce the pressure and temperature in the installation. At around 11 million times the normal pressure on Earth and a temperature of about 50,000 degrees Kelvin, solid fragments began to form in the diamond liquid. Empirically, it was possible to establish that the process of their formation is gaining momentum with a decrease in pressure while maintaining the temperature at a constant level.

The further behavior of the sample amazed the scientists. Diamond chips did not stick together, but floated in a liquid medium, just as icebergs float on the expanses of the oceans.

Most materials are less dense in liquid form than in solid form. Water is considered the only exception, since the density of ice is always less than the density of liquid water. Molten diamond exhibits the same qualities.

Analysis shows that Neptune and Uranus are ten percent carbon. Therefore, according to Eggert, the existence of diamond seas on these planets is quite possible. Moreover, such formations would fit perfectly into the theory, since they can explain one of the most interesting mysteries of these gas giants.

On Earth, the magnetic poles almost coincide with the geographic poles. And on Uranus and Neptune, the axis of the magnetic field is sharply shifted from the axis of rotation – the difference is about 60 degrees. The existence of a diamond ocean, which is capable of reflecting and refracting magnetic waves, could well explain such a phenomenon.

Ilya Torbaev, doctor of geological and mineralogical sciences, spoke about the diamond seas and diamond shores of Uranus and Neptune.

“From a physical point of view, the proposed model has no obvious flaws. Yes, we are used to the fact that diamond is a unique mineral for the Earth. But this uniqueness is due only to the lack of sufficient conditions on our planet for the formation of such chemical compounds.

Uranus and Neptune, on the contrary, seem to be created for the synthesis of such substances. High carbon content, extreme pressure and high temperature could have made it so that diamond became as common there as like silicon on Earth. While the physico-chemical component of Eggart’s experiment is beyond doubt, the astronomical part requires verification and proof. But they will have to wait – the next expeditions to Uranus and Neptune are planned only for 2025-2030.”

The word “diamond” comes from Greek. It is translated into Russian as “”. Indeed, to damage this stone, you need to make superhuman efforts. It cuts and scratches all minerals known to us, while itself remains unscathed. Acid does not harm him. Once, out of curiosity, an experiment was carried out in a forge: a diamond was placed on an anvil and hit with a hammer. The iron almost split in two, but the stone remained intact.

Diamond glows with a beautiful bluish color.

Diamond has the highest thermal conductivity of all solids. It is resistant to friction, even against metal. It is the most elastic mineral with the lowest compression ratio. An interesting property of a diamond is to luminesce even under the influence of artificial rays. It glows with all the colors of rainbows and refracts color in an interesting way. This stone seems to be saturated with solar color, and then radiates it. As you know, a natural diamond is ugly, the cut gives it true beauty. A gem made from a cut diamond is called a diamond.

History of experiments

In the 17th century in England, Boyle managed to burn a diamond by shining a sunbeam on it through a lens. However, in France, the experiment with calcining diamonds in a melting vessel did not give any results. The French jeweler who conducted the experiment found only a thin layer of dark plaque on the stones. At the end of the 17th century, the Italian scientists Averani and Targioni, when trying to fuse two diamonds together, were able to establish the temperature at which a diamond burns – from 720 to 1000 ° C.

Diamond does not melt due to the strong structure of the crystal lattice. All attempts to melt the mineral ended in burning it.

The great French physicist Antoine Lavoisier went further, deciding to place the diamonds in an airtight vessel made of glass and fill it with oxygen. With the help of a large lens, he heated the stones, and they completely burned out. After examining the composition of the air environment, they found that in addition to oxygen, it contains carbon dioxide, which is a combination of oxygen and carbon. Thus, the answer was received: diamonds burn, but only when oxygen is available, i.e. on open air. Burning, the diamond turns into carbon dioxide. That is why, unlike coal, even ash does not remain after the combustion of diamond. The experiments of scientists confirmed another property of diamond: in the absence of oxygen, the diamond does not burn, but its molecular structure changes. At a temperature of 2000 ° C, graphite can be obtained in just 15-30 minutes.

Everything in this world is not eternal. Almost everything eventually turns to dust. And unfortunately no one can change that. Yet there are things in our world that, according to many, are unchanging. Today I want to talk about one such object – a diamond. Diamond is considered to be one of the hardest minerals in the world. But still…

Do you know that diamonds can burn? This fascinating phenomenon was discovered as a result of experiments that were carried out with this mineral. As a result of the experiments, it turned out that at high temperatures (850-1000 degrees C), a very hard mineral changes its structure and turns into the purest carbon dioxide, leaving no other substances. This was first proven in 1694, at the moment when scientists from Italy K.A. Tarjoni and J. Averani tried to combine several small diamonds into one large diamond. Burning temperature at which diamond burns
in a stream of pure oxygen is a little less: 720-800 degrees C. Moreover, the mineral burns with a beautiful and blue flame.

Again, interesting, in my opinion, is the fact that it is possible to produce ordinary graphite from diamond. To do this, you just need to heat the stone, in the absence of oxygen, to a temperature of 2000 degrees C.

All of the above facts have been proven many times by scientists in practice, and subsequently scientifically substantiated.

So that women remember that diamond is lit
, a diamond on your finger can turn into ordinary graphite from high temperatures. Remember this and be careful, do not get excited.

Burning diamonds. Video.

Interesting pages of our site:

Bad weather. Interesting facts about rain

Underground boat. Secret developments

Bogomolov accelerator. Is it possible to completely destroy a single country?

And the boiling of the diamond? Does a mineral exist in molten form in the natural environment? We will look for answers to these and other questions in the presented material.

How did diamonds form in the bowels of the Earth?

According to scientists, diamonds could have appeared during the formation of the planet’s core as a result of the impact on the molten magma of enormous pressure. To the surface areas of the earth’s crust, precious stones have advanced due to the processes of gas formation in deep rocks. As a result, the so-called diamond pipes were formed, which are voids in stony soil with large mineral deposits.

Material properties

Before we figure out what the melting point of diamond is, let’s look at the properties of the mineral:

1. Diamonds have the highest hardness of any existing fossil. For this reason, no material is able to destroy or scratch its surface. He himself can damage any physical object.
2. Diamond is a highly effective insulator. It is resistant to acids and other aggressive chemical environments.
3. Diamond has the highest thermal conductivity of all solid minerals. The gemstone can be held in the palm of your hand as long as you like. At the same time, its temperature will remain unchanged.
4. Diamond has a unique luminescence. Light rays of any origin, when passing through a mineral, make it glow brightly and shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow.

Structure

Basically, a diamond is made up of carbon atoms. However, each of them is located in the central part of the tetrahedron – a polyhedron that is formed from the four planes of a triangle. Thus, an extremely strong bond of atoms is ensured. This explains the highest hardness, as well as the impressive melting point of diamond.

Conditions for the melting of diamonds

In 2010, during experiments in the physics laboratory of the University of California at Berkeley, they determined the level of temperature exposure to a diamond, which leads to its melting. Scientists have found that it is impossible to convert the material into a liquid form under normal conditions, regardless of the level of heating. This goal can be achieved only by exposing the diamond not only to temperature, but also to the highest pressure. It is necessary to increase the pressure so that the mineral does not turn into graphite. Thus, the transition of diamond into a liquid form is an extremely difficult process.

What is the melting point and boiling point of diamond?

According to data obtained during the study of the properties of the material, its melting in air under high pressure occurs when heated to 850-1000 ° C. Diamond can be brought to a boil by exposing it to a temperature of 1800 to 2000 ° C in a vacuum. In both cases, upon cooling, the mineral is converted into graphite.

Establishing the melting point of a diamond, scientists conducted experiments using a small natural mineral, the mass of which was 1/10 of a carat. Boiling of the surfaces of the material occurred under the influence of a shock wave created due to short-term laser pulses.

The researchers managed to determine what indicator the melting point of diamond (in degrees) is only when pressure was created, which was 40 million times higher than the normal pressure of the atmosphere at sea level. With a decrease in pressure to 11 million atmospheres, solid particles began to form on the surface of the boiling mineral, which do not sink, but float like ice in water.

Where are diamonds found in the earth’s crust?

These minerals are extremely rare. However, industrial deposits are currently being developed on almost all continents of the globe. The only exception is Antarctica.

Until the middle of the 19th century, minerals were thought to form in river sediments. Later, the first diamond-bearing cavities were discovered in rocky mountain soil at a depth of several hundred meters.

According to scientists, some diamonds are between 100 million and 2. 5 billion years old. The researchers managed to get more “old” minerals of unearthly origin. The latter are brought to the planet along with meteorites, which were formed in outer space even before the formation of the solar system.

Do molten diamonds exist in nature?

The melting point of diamond is so high that the mineral can no longer exist in boiling form on Earth. However, what about space objects? According to scientists, the melting point of diamond is maintained to this day in the depths of planets such as Neptune and Uranus. It is noteworthy that the latter are 10% formed from carbon, which is the structural basis of this mineral.

According to many scientists, on the above planets there are whole oceans of diamonds in liquid, boiling form. Such a hypothesis explains why the magnetic field of these celestial bodies behaves so strangely. After all, Neptune and Uranus are the only planets in the solar system whose geographic poles do not have a clear position and are literally spaced apart in space.