Abstract
In this paper, we investigate diamond crystallization in Fe-Ni-C with an aluminum additive and the capability of aluminum for converting graphite to diamond in a series of experiments at 4.9–5.5 GPa and 1240–1500°C. Our experimental results show that the growth habits of diamond crystal have been significantly influenced by the addition of aluminum as a catalyst. The crystal color changes from yellow to nearly colorless. The morphology of the synthesized diamond crystals gradually changes from cubic-octahedron to octahedron in the Fe-Ni-C systems with increasing aluminum additive. The lowest synthesis conditions fell first and then rose with increasing aluminum. We found a suitable addition of aluminum is very effective in lowering the synthesis conditions while an excessive aluminum additive may have a suppressive effect on the diamond nucleation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bundy F P, Hall H T, Strong H M, et al. Man-made diamonds. Nature, 1955, 176: 51–55
Kanda H, Saito S, Fujimori N, et al. Advances in New Diamond Science and Technology. Tokyo: MYU, 1994. 507
Akaishi M, Kanda H, Yamaoka S. Phosphorus: An elemental catalyst for diamond synthesis and growth. Science, 1993, 259: 1592–1593
Kanda H, Akaishi M, Yamaoka S. New catalysts for diamond growth under high pressure and high temperature. Appl Phys Lett, 1994, 65: 784–786
Michau D, Kanda H, Yamaoka S. Crystal growth of diamond from a phosphorus solvent under high pressure-high temperature conditions. Diamond Relat Mater, 1999, 8: 1125–1129
Palyanov Y, Kupriyanov I, Khokhryakov A, et al. Crystal growth and characterization of HPHT diamond from a phosphorus-carbon system. Diamond Relat Mater, 2003, 12: 1510–1516
Palyanov Y N, Kupriyanov I N, Borzdov Y M, et al. Diamond crystallization from a sulfur-carbon system at HPHT conditions. Cryst Growth Des, 2009, 9: 2922–2926
Shulzhenko A A, Ignatyeva I Y, Osipov S, et al. Peculiarities of interaction in the Zn-C system under high pressures and temperatures. Diamond Relat Mater, 2000, 9: 129–133
Shulzhenko A A, Ignateva I Y, Belyavina N N, et al. Diagramma sostoyaniya sistemy Mg-C pri davlenii 7.7 GPa. Sverkhtverd Mater, 1988, 3: 47–49
Andreyevl A V, Kanda H. Diamond formation and wettability in a Mg-Cu-C system under high pressure and high temperature. Diamond Relat Mater, 1997, 6: 28–32
Liu X B, Ma H A, Zhang Z F, et al. Effects of zinc additive on the HPHT synthesis of diamond in Fe-Ni-C and Fe-C system. Diamond Relat Mater, 2011, 20: 468–474
Lucas L D. Physicochemical measurements in metal research. In: Rapp R A, ed. Interscience. New York: Intersci, 1970. 2: 267–292
Lees J, Williamson B H J. Combined very high pressure/high temperature calibration of the tetrahedral anvil apparatus, fusion curves of Zinc, aluminum, germanium and silicon to 60 kilobars. Nature, 1965, 208: 278–279
Petrusha I A, Smirnova T I, Osipov A S, et al. Crystallization of diamond on the surface of cBN ceramics at high pressure and temperature. Diamond Relat Mater, 2004, 13: 666–670
Turkevich V, Okada T, Utsumi W, et al. Kinetics of diamond spontaneous crystallization from the melt of the Fe-Al-C system at 6.5 GPa. Diamond Relat Mater, 2002, 11: 1769–1773
Han W, Jia X P, Jia H S, et al. Effects of Ti additive on HPHT diamond synthesis in Fe-Ni-C system. Chin Sci Bull, 2009, 54: 2978–2981
Liang Z Z, Jia X, Zang C Y, et al. The influence of N and H on diamond synthesized with Ni-Mn-Co catalyst by HPHT. Diamond Relat Mater, 2005, 14: 243–247
Liang Z Z, Jia X, Ma H A, et al. Synthesis of HPHT diamond containing high concentration of nitrogen impurities using NaN3 as dopant in metal-carbon system. Diamond Relat Mater, 2005, 14: 1932–1935
Liang Z Z, Kanda H, Jia X, et al. Synthesis of diamond with high nitrogen concentration from powder catalyst-C-additive NaN3 by HPHT. Carbon, 2006, 44: 913–917
Yu R Z, Ma H A, Liang Z Z, et al. HPHT synthesis of diamond with high concentration nitrogen using powder catalyst with additive Ba(N3)2. Diamond Relat Mater, 2008, 17: 180–184
Oden L L, Mccune R A. Phase equilibria in the Al-Si-C system. Metall Trans A, 1987, 18: 2005–2014
Grobner J, Lukas H L, Aldinger F. Thermodynamic calculations in the Y-Al-C system. J Alloys Compounds, 1995, 220: 8–14
Schuster J C. A reinvestigation of the thermal decomposition of aluminum carbide and the constitution of the Al-C system. J Phase Equilib, 1991, 12: 546–549
Sumiya H, Satoh S. High-pressure synthesis of high-purity diamond crystal. Diamond Relat Mater, 1996, 5: 1359–1365
Li S S, Jia X P, Zang C Y. Effect of Al and Ti/Cu on synthesis of type-IIa diamond crystals in Ni70Mn25Co5-C system at HPHT. Chin Phys Lett, 2008, 25: 3801–3804
Liu X B, Jia X P, Guo X K, et al. Experimental evidence for nucleation and growth mechanism of diamond by seed-assisted method at high pressure and high temperature. Cryst Growth Des, 2010, 10: 2895–2900
Strong H M, Chrenko R M. Diamond growth rates and physical properties of laboratory-made diamond. J Phys Chem, 1971, 75: 1838–1843
Burns R C, Hansen J O, Spits R A, et al. Growth of high purity large synthetic diamond crystals. Diamond Relat Mater, 1999, 8: 1433–437
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, Z., Jia, X., Liu, X. et al. Effects of aluminum additive on diamond crystallization in the Fe-Ni-C system under high temperature and high pressure conditions. Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 55, 781–785 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-012-4716-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-012-4716-7