Allotropes of Carbon: Uses of Diamond

Diamond is the hardest element and is a crystalline allotrope of carbon. It is present in a solid room and consists of 99.95% carbon with 0.5% trace elements. It is arranged in a three-dimensional crystal lattice structure known for its high thermal conductivity and hardness properties. The use of diamond is predominantly observed in the jewellery industry, and as it is a rare element, it is quite expensive. Diamond is also used to develop high-end instruments for stone cutting and polishing, medical tools for precision operation, and even in the automobile industry. The uses of diamond minerals will be thoroughly discussed in the following content.  

Structure of Diamond 

The natural diamond is a rare element formed in a million years and majorly extracted from metamorphic rocks. The pure form of diamond is arranged in crystals, and each of the carbon atoms in the diamond is in sp3 hybridization. Hence, the carbon atoms form a tetrahedral bond with each of the nearest carbon atoms. The tetrahedral bonds are rigid and strong, making diamond hard, tensile and least compressible. There are strong C – C covalent bonds, which equal 154 pm, and each C-C-C bond angle is around 109°28.

Properties of Diamond  

• Diamonds are poor conductors of electricity but have a very high thermal resistance
• Natural diamonds have 99.9% carbon and have a metallic lustre, with the highest type of lustre known as adamantine
• It ranges from being translucent to opaque
• It has a high refractive index with a high level of transparency
• It is the hardest element with the hardest level of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale
• It has a high melting point of around 3843K and is insoluble in all the solvents
• Diamond is inert, and hence it is resistant to a range of salt, alkali and acids
• At room temperature, diamonds do not react with chemical reagents
• Bluish diamond is considered the most precious and expensive, mostly used in jewellery-making

Uses of Diamond Mineral 

There are many applications and uses of diamond depending on its type, quality, purity and properties. Here are some of the uses of diamonds across various industries.

Jewellery Industry

“Diamonds are a woman’s best friend” is often heard. The use of diamond is extensively used in making jewellery, and as it is a precious metal, diamond jewellery is quite expensive. Due to its high optical dispersion and high refractive index, the crystalline element sparkles against light, making it luxurious jewellery. The most common are the solitaire rings used for engagement. Reports state that nearly 30% of the diamonds mined are used to design jewellery and gem trading. The primary characteristic of gem diamonds is the dispersion of white light. The natural diamond is cut and polished for its use in the gems and jewel industry.

Used in cutting and instruments

The hardness of the diamond makes it an essential element used for developing cutting tools used for cutting glass marbles and in the development of rock drilling equipment. The use of diamond in cutting glass is due to its hardness of 10 on the Mohs Hardness scale. It helps in the accurate and precise cutting of glass and marble. It is also used in rock drilling machinery.

Oil drilling

It is used in drill bits which helps in oil exploration. The hardness of diamond makes it suitable for its use to bore miles under the surface of the Earth. The use of diamond is because of its hardness, and hence it can withstand the wear and tear of layers of the rock, which helps find the trapped oil and gas.

Automobile Industry

The use of diamonds is also observed in the automobile industry, especially in making advanced and high-tech cars. The drill bits and many components of the car are made from diamond which improves the efficiency and aesthetic of the vehicle.

Cosmetic and beauty products

Diamond is largely used even in cosmetic industries like diamond facial or exfoliators. It has sprinkles or diamond dust which is known to have anti-ageing properties. Diamond penetrates deep into the skin and helps scavenge out free radicals to reduce wrinkles and fine lines.

Development of high-end speakers

Diamond is used to developing high-end and advanced speakers for better sound quality and performance. The use of diamond in audio equipment creates a better quality sound as it vibrates easily at high speed. When the diamond is placed as a thin dome, it vibrates rapidly without degrading the sound quality.

Use in supercomputers 

The use of diamond in electronics and computers is due to its property of high heat conductivity. Due to its high thermal resistance, it is used as an excellent heat sink that traps excess heat and protects microelectronics from overheating. There is a lot of ongoing research on the development and use of diamond wire to design quantum supercomputers. Diamond processors are also used in supercomputers which can store information.

Conclusion

Diamond is the hardest allotrope of carbon and is a precious metal which makes it rare and expensive. Diamond minerals are quite predominant in the jewellery-making industry, with nearly 30% of mined diamonds used in gem trading. Due to the hardness and high thermal conductivity, it is used in cutting ceramics and glass to prevent overheating in supercomputers and speakers. The range, purity, transparency, lustre, etc., of diamond varies; hence, its cost varies accordingly—the article list all the major uses of diamond in different industries.