Diamonds from Tequila

Mexican scientists have turned the country's national tipple tequila into diamonds

Full Story

I don't really have a use for diamonds, so I think this is an incredible waste of tequila! Actually, they are creating industrial quality diamonds and are still searching for useful applications.

"One day I went to the campus shop and bought a bottle of cheap tequila. I used it under the same experiment conditions as for a test with ethanol and water and obtained positive results,"

They sell tequila at campus? Darn it, I knew I should have gone to university! hmmm it's not too late.

the tequila diamonds could be used to "detect radiation, coat cutting tools or, above all, as a substitute for silicon in the computer chips of the future

2nd Link
Actually, this is a great invention and could prove very useful in our search for renewable resources, instead of raping the earth.

Synthetic Diamonds

Synthetic diamond (also known variously as lab-created, manufactured, lab-grown or cultured diamond) is a term used to describe diamond crystals produced by a technological process, as opposed to natural diamond, which is produced by geological processes.

It seems those producing or researching synthetic diamonds better beef up on their personal security. De Beers has proved to be rather "opposed" to any infringement on their turf over the last 100 years:

After World War II that company even set up its own intelligence service. It also controlled the supply of diamonds from most of the other major producers through its Central Selling Organisation (CSO). The firm is De Beers. It was supported both by the White government of South Africa and the Soviet Union, yet it survived the ending of Apartheid and the collapse of Communism. At the start of the new millennium it faces its gravest challenges yet and has radically changed tactics to ensure its continued success and to prevent diamonds from financing civil wars.

Dangerous Diamonds

I doubt that De Beers really cares whether diamonds finance civil wars or not. They are more likely to care about whether diamonds flow into their vaults.

reply to post by deltaalphanovember


You are forgetting about 'diamonds from coal' - Microwave'em. I heard of a story a while ago, when a somebody place a piece of coal into a microwave at (superheat) and after a period of time the piece of coal in the microwave turned into a diamond.

Fortunately, I would think this is a myth. It were the case, then I would be a) a very popular person amongst the ladies or b) diamonds would no longer be a girl's best friend.

However, this link refers to diamonds from charcoal and peanut butter in a microwave:
Link 1

Here is the Snopes link discussing this:
Link to Snopes

To create a real diamond from coal would take a very special application of heat and pressure.
This article discussing using peanut butter and extremely high pressure:

Peanut butter is being turned into diamonds by scientists with a technique that harnesses pressures higher than those found at the centre of the earth.

Article

Man, I was about to say problem solved on the girlfriends Christmas presents. Darn it. I didn't know De Beers was the bad a## of the diamond industry. That's a bit strange. I think maybe I'll get 'em somewhere else after learning that. I hope their 'intelligence community' isn't watching me type this!

Link

Originally posted by Raustin
. I think maybe I'll get 'em somewhere else after learning that. I hope their 'intelligence community' isn't watching me type this!

You will have a hard time getting diamonds that has not passed through their grubby paws.
Here is more about De Beers practices:
Link

For most of the 20th century, De Beers sold 85% to 90% of the diamonds mined worldwide.

The De Beers Story

Originally posted by gordonwest
reply to post by deltaalphanovember

 

You are forgetting about 'diamonds from coal' - Microwave'em. I heard of a story a while ago, when a somebody place a piece of coal into a microwave at (superheat) and after a period of time the piece of coal in the microwave turned into a diamond.

That is how they make synthetic diamonds. Not exactly from coal, but they super heat carbon whilst applying ludicrous amounts of hydraulic pressure.
The machines themselves are about the size of a curled up human (not including the room sized hydraulic presses!), but the pressure space at the center is less than an inch square.
You will find that drill heads on oil rigs use synthetic diamonds on their cutting face, and a single drill head can be up to $60,000. And some troublesome wells may need up to 4 or 5 drill bits to get down to the pay dirt.