Can You Make Diamonds With a Hydraulic Press?

Diamonds are among the hardest naturally occurring substances on Earth, yet they're far from indestructible - even direct hits with a hammer can chip them.

Hydraulic Press Channel on YouTube is known for squishing items under extreme pressure for viral entertainment purposes, but in this video they attempt to use one against an impressive diamond of 1.2 carat weight - this time pitted against their powerful hydraulic press!

1. They are extremely hard

Diamonds are highly resilient materials, making them an excellent choice for use in tools and machinery. Their strength can withstand considerable amounts of pressure without shattering; however, as demonstrated in a video posted by Hydraulic Press Channel it is possible to crush even diamonds under enough pressure - as evidenced in the footage of a 1.2 carat diamond being crushed using hydraulic pressure by means of this press; with an unfortunate end result.

This video begins by explaining how diamonds are formed. The process requires high temperatures and pressures that recreate conditions found deep within Earth to form carbon atoms that align in such a way as to form diamond-like formations; once created, these diamonds can then be used for various applications.

Not every material can compete with diamond as the hardest material on Earth; recently scientists have discovered harder materials such as wurtzite boron nitride and lonsdaleite which share similar chemical makeup but differing crystal structures to diamond. Diamond isn't even one of the toughest materials as they can easily be chipped by sharp objects.

Understanding the differences between hardness and toughness is also vitally important. Many non-specialists in materials tend to confound these two terms. Hardness refers to a substance's resistance to scratching while toughness refers to its resistance against breakage; diamonds are famously hard, yet fragile materials that can easily be chipped by hitting with something hard enough - like a hammer.

Diamond's brittleness can be traced to its unique structure: carbon atoms in diamond are organized rigidly and inflexibly, giving it high hardness while rendering it extremely brittle; man-made metals boast much higher tensile strengths than diamond, making breaking them far less likely.

Even though diamonds may be fragile, they remain strong and durable. Diamond is stronger than corundum (the next hardest mineral on Earth). But diamonds can still be broken by impact; therefore it's crucial that their use be appropriately. Sharp objects should be avoided at all costs if possible, with any contact quickly removed as soon as it occurs.

2. They are very durable

Diamonds are some of the hardest naturally occurring minerals on Earth and one of the toughest materials known to man, making them nearly indestructible. Yet it may still be possible for diamonds to break if hit hard enough; this phenomenon is known as cleavage direction and occurs whether during cutting process or when worn as jewelry. Therefore, having adequate insurance cover for diamonds is highly advised.

Diamonds must undergo extreme pressure and temperature to form, which takes millions of years for natural diamonds to form. Lab-grown diamonds, however, can be produced much more rapidly through carbon vapor deposition; this involves heating a tiny seed at high temperatures before exposing it to carbon-rich gas which causes carbon atoms to accumulate on its surface and form diamond crystals on it - another method often used when synthesizing diamonds.

With a powerful hydraulic press, it is possible to break down diamonds. YouTube channel The Hydraulic Press Channel features a video showing them crushing a beautiful 1.2 carat lab-created diamond which has been seen over 10 million times; you can see the press slowly descend upon it; just before impact, however, the diamond bends before shattering like glass hit by a hammer.

Reason for this lie within the difference between hardness and toughness; hardness being defined as resistance to wear and scratching while toughness refers to its ability to resist tensional or compressive stress before breaking. Although diamonds are extremely hard, they're not particularly tough - making it more challenging to cut or polish into gems.

3. They are very expensive

Diamonds are one of the hardest materials on Earth, made up of carbon atoms joined together by strong chemical bonds. However, their hardness does not preclude being crushed with force such as hydraulic presses due to their extremely high tensile strength; with enough pressure applied it's possible for diamonds to break.

The first video shows a 1.2-carat lab-grown diamond being crushed using a hydraulic press and has been watched over 11 million times. Though beautiful and expensive, diamonds aren't indestructible: even one hit from a hammer would be enough to destroy one.

Lab-created diamonds are much cheaper than their natural counterparts, making them an appealing option for buyers looking for affordable ways to purchase diamonds. That said, even small pieces can cost thousands of dollars.

To create lab-grown diamonds, graphite and a catalyst must be combined in a chamber and exposed to high temperatures and pressures, mimicking conditions similar to what are found deep underground where diamonds form. Unfortunately, this process can be difficult to control, often producing diamonds of differing qualities than expected.

HPHT and CVD processes exist for creating artificial diamonds, respectively. HPHT uses a large chamber that simulates conditions found underground where diamonds form; it can be difficult to control temperature and pressure settings, while the results produced through these methods tend to have lower quality diamonds than those made through CVD processes.

The video features a stunning 1.2-carat CVD diamond donated to the Hydraulic Press Channel by its creators. However, its beauty was no match against a hydraulic press's crushing force; as shown by this video. While its thrilling to watch, remember that diamonds can't remain unbreakable forever!

4. They can be crushed with a hammer

Diamonds may be one of the hardest natural-forming materials, yet they can still be broken with enough force. Professional diamond cutters use this strategy to cut large rough diamonds into smaller ones for use in jewelry and other products. To do this, professional cutters need to find its inner weaknesses and hit it at just the right spot with a powerful hammer large enough to displace carbon atoms from inside and crack it from there - this process often results in chipping when handled improperly; large metal heads on hammers help by transferring force directly onto its crystalline structure rather than other softer materials surrounding it.

Diamond creation requires high levels of pressure and heat. This is because diamond atoms are crystallized tightly together and cannot move around freely, which makes them very hard. Unfortunately, however, the forces involved in creating them also render it very brittle, meaning that when exposed to high levels of pressure or temperature they fracture easily - making it more challenging than ever to break one apart!

To prevent this, diamonds must be grown under stringent conditions in order for them to remain usable; this requires maintaining consistent temperatures and pressures as well as temperature-control in the environment, both of which can be challenging tasks. Failing any of these factors could result in diamonds stopping to grow altogether or becoming heavily included, which will subsequently impair their quality.

Hydraulic Press Channel on YouTube used a powerful hydraulic press hammer to crush a beautiful 1.2 carat diamond donated by an anonymous donor - but even such a stunning gem wasn't safe from its crushing power!

Although the video indicates otherwise, this diamond was created in a lab. While laboratory diamonds may not be as valuable as natural ones, they still possess great value and should be carefully protected to maintain their value over time. As such, insurance policies exist specifically designed to safeguard them in case repairs or replacements become necessary.