Re: Diamonds are an Eskimo's Best Friend
Posted by Uncle Al on Feb 11, 2004 at 16:32
(68.99.179.162)Re: Diamonds are an Eskimo's Best Friend (Mike Kremer)
Diamonds grown to equilibrium are natural octahedra. Less stringent growth conditions lead to different crystal growth habits within the octahedral system, like cube-octahedra. Chemical erosion in the molten lava wlll give you dull or pebbly surfaces, as will long term weathering.
Fluorite, CaF>SUB>2, is used as a physically soft simulant to teach diamond cutting and test new facettings. Diamond has perfect cleavage at [1,1,1]. A well-cut stone will specifically not have [1,1,1] facets. A slight tap would spall off little flat [1,1,1] triangles.
Diamond is surface terminated as C-H bonds. The monolayer surface of damond is therefore paraffin. Natural diamond in water slurry with sand and whatnot will specifically stick to corrigated grease tables. Melt off the grease, grab the diamond concetrate. Modern diamond recovery is density enrichment followed by x-ray fluorescence and automated recovery.
Diamond mining is a massive waste of time and effort to recover an easily synthesized material. The only thing mining will get you is unflawed raw stock over five carats (one gram) in weight. That sort of thing is not growable as yet.
--
Uncle Al
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/qz.pdf
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/eotvos.htm
(Do something naughty to physics)