The Influence of Zinc Doping on the Grain Size and Productivity of Diamond Synthesis in the Ni-Mn-C System at High Pressure and High Temperature

Abstract

The development of technological processes for obtaining small size diamond powder is of industrial interest as basic products for roughing and finishing surfaces, like in the polishing of ornamental rocks. Therefore, this work investigates the influence of zinc, as a doping agent, in association with the graphite to diamond transformation, which occurs during high pressure and high temperature synthesis in the presence of Ni-Mn as a catalyst-solvent metallic alloy. Diamond synthesis was carried out at 4.7 GPa of pressure and 1300°C using a reactive mixture with 1:1 ratio of graphite and Ni-Mn alloy powders doped with up to 6% of Zn. The results indicated that the highest diamond yield was obtained for 0.5% while the lowest yield for 6% of Zn. Regardless the Zn content , the diamond crystal were produced with 212/150 μm of granulometry.