Forming of Diamond Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Forming of Diamond - Research Paper Example This study focuses upon Diamond as the hardest mineral on earth. It is a natural mineral and is the hardest on Mohs hardness scale that is used to determine the hardness of solids, particularly minerals. This scale that lists the softest to the hardest solids has diamond as its hardest material with a ranking of 10. Although, graphite is also formed of carbon atoms, it is not as strong as diamond. However, graphite is being used in man-made diamonds due to its similarities in composition, where the ring-like structure of carbon atoms of graphite is altered to form a crystalline structure. It is a carbon component found in the form of an ore that is processed and used. The unique molecular structure of the material is what gives it its strength, as five carbon atoms forming a tetrahedron by each atom forming covalent bonds with four other carbon atoms gives diamond its unique stability which is hard to break. It is a crystalline structure with billions of carbon atoms bonding together under very high pressure and temperatures inside the Earth’s mantle at about 100 miles below its crust. These crystals are carried to the surface of the Earth by violent volcanic eruptions. Diamond is chemically inert to most of the acids and alkalis, has low thermal expansion, has a negative electron affinity, is a good thermal conductor, is least compressible, has high specific gravity, and has high refractive index and reflection. Common morphologies or or isometric crystal structures of diamond are: cubical, octahedral and do-decahedron. (Composition and properties of diamond, 2008). Advantages: Diamonds are usually transparent or pale blue but some coloured diamonds are also found due to the presence of impurities in the lattice structure. Traces of Boron, Nitrogen and other gases result in the blue, yellow and other colours of diamonds. Diamonds are found in Kimberlite and Lamproite rocks that are brought to the Earth’