Think Diamonds, Think High Tech
December 12, 24
Think diamonds, think jewelry. OK, so some are used in industry to cut and grind stuff. But diamonds have been prized for their beauty more than their hardness or any other property.
That's now changing. Partly because diamonds grown in a lab are now so readily available. And partly because technology is discovering a myriad of new uses for this particular carbon allotrope.
Two news stories in recent days underline just how broad the new horizons for diamonds are becoming.
The first was about De Beers-owned Element Six and the new opportunities for diamonds it's exploring in quantum technologies, semiconductors and water purification.
The second was about how researchers at the UK Atomic Energy Authority have developed the world's first diamond battery - with an incredible 5,700-year life.
Element Six is the industrial diamond and innovation division of De Beers, founded back in 1946 and rebranded with its new name in 2002 (to reflect the fact that carbon is the sixth element in the periodic table).
It started producing synthetic diamonds in 1958 (four years after General Electric) using the HPHT method and has been at the forefront of diamond innovation ever since.
In recent months (and in the broader context of its parent company facing a sell-off or IPO) Element Six has announced a number of collaborations.
It is partnering with Orbray, a Japanese precision components manufacturer, to create the world's highest quality wafer-scale single crystal diamond, which will revolutionize semiconductor technology.
Diamond-based electronics drastically reduce power consumption and heat generation in AI, telecommunications, data centers and elsewhere.
Element Six is also working with US-based Lummus Technology, using synthetic diamonds to create electrodes that will eliminate the harmful 'forever chemicals' used in consumer products, from carpets to cookware, that can take hundreds of years to degrade.
And it's investing in Lightsynq, a quantum computing startup. The stability of synthetic diamonds, and the way they interact with light, means they can be used to create complex connections between quantum computers.
Diamonds have long been used for drill bits, saw blades and the like, but they have many qualities beyond their exceptional hardness.
They surpass all other materials in terms of thermal conductivity (how efficiently they transfer heat) and electrical insulating properties. They also have a wide range of acoustic, optical, chemical and other properties.
But the fact that diamonds are so hard - and function as an effective barrier to short-range radiation - means they're perfect for the "battery that never dies".
Scientists are using lab grown diamonds together with the radioactive isotope carbon-14, to produce super-thin, super-long-lasting batteries.
Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,700 years (that's the time it takes for half a radioactive substance to decay). That means the battery will still retain half of its power after thousands of years.
These tiny, long-lasting batteries will be used for hearing aids, pacemakers, ocular implants and other medical devices, as well as deep space probes, satellites and other "hard to reach" installations.
The batteries would be dangerous to touch, but the diamond stops any short-range radiation from escaping.
There's a lot of talk in the world of gem quality diamonds about the future of lab growns in the market, as an alternative to "the real thing".
But there's a different discussion going on in high-tech, where the ready availability of diamonds - regardless of origin - is changing our world.
Have a fabulous weekend.