Scientists develop new material that rivals diamond
Scientists say the breakthrough could pave the way for new materials for industrial uses, such as protective coatings for cars and spacecraft.
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Scientists have solved a puzzle they have been working on for decades regarding the development of a nearly unbreakable substance, and they suggest it could rival diamond, the world's hardest material. Researchers found that when carbon and nitrogen precursors are subjected to extreme heat and pressure, the resulting materials, called carbon nitrides, tend to be harder than cubic boron nitride (the second-hardest material after diamond).
NEW MATERIAL COULD EVEN PROTECT SPACECRAFT
According to a report by Independent Türkçe, the new study published in the academic journal Advanced Materials suggests that this groundbreaking new substance could pave the way for new multifunctional materials for industrial uses, such as protective coatings for cars and spacecraft, high-durability cutting tools, solar panels, and photodetectors.
Although scientists have known about the theoretical potential of carbon nitrides, including their high resistance to heat, since the 1980s, reliable results could not be achieved in laboratories after more than 30 years of research and numerous synthesis attempts.
In the latest study, researchers, including those from the University of Edinburgh, subjected various carbon-nitrogen precursors to pressures of 70 to 135 gigapascals (about 1 million times our atmospheric pressure) while heating them to temperatures above 1500 degrees Celsius.
They then analyzed the atomic arrangement of the compounds that emerged under these conditions and found that three carbon nitride compounds possessed the building blocks necessary for super-hardness.
Scientists determined that all three compounds retained their diamond-like qualities when returned to ambient pressure and temperature conditions. The researchers also found that these three substances have high energy density, with large amounts of energy concentrated in a small amount of mass.
They say these compounds could become ultimate engineering materials with the potential to rival diamonds. Co-author of the study, Dominique Laniel, said, "These materials provide a strong incentive to bridge the gap between high-pressure material synthesis and industrial applications."
These materials are not only extraordinary in terms of their multifunctionality, but they also demonstrate that technologically relevant phases can be obtained from a synthesis pressure equivalent to conditions found thousands of kilometers inside the Earth.