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Diamonds made of

A new theory proposes that some of the carbon in diamonds originates from supernovae explosions and meteorites, rather than organic materials. This idea is supported by the antiquity of diamonds and similarities in carbon isotopic ratios to those found in meteorites.

Wear-Resistant Diamond Coating Created By Sandia Scientists: Superhard Material Thickly Coats Metals, Plastics, Also Stands Alone

Sandia researchers develop a simple way to relieve internal stresses in amorphous diamond films, creating thick, stress-free coatings that are harder than known coatings. The coatings have also been used to create large-area free-standing membranes with desirable properties such as high hardness and low friction.

SourceDOE/Sandia National Laboratories·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateApr 9, 1998

Upping The Pressure

Scientists have developed techniques to directly image the deformation of materials like diamond under ultrahigh pressures, showing that it can bend without failing. The results suggest ways to improve high-pressure techniques and reveal enhanced material strength at extreme pressures.