Posted on 02/03/2010 5:12:18 AM PST by decimon
The ultra-hard rocks may not end up on your finger, but they could help scientists learn how to create harder diamonds in the lab.
THE GIST:
* Two new ultra-hard types of diamond have been found in a meteorite from Finland. * The ultra-hard carbon crystals were created out of graphite under the intense heat and pressure of the meteorite impact. * Though the new diamonds are definitely harder than regular diamonds, the crystals were too small to test for their exact hardness.
Researchers using a diamond paste to polish a slice of meteorite stumbled onto something remarkable: crystals in the rock that are harder than diamonds.
A closer look with an array of instruments revealed two totally new kinds of naturally occurring carbon, which are harder than the diamonds formed inside the Earth.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.discovery.com ...
Hard and harder ping.
Meteorites are a girl’s best friend.....
The implications of this are pretty huge. I’m sure the diamond industry will put the kabosh on it though.
Must be from the planet Viagra. In the Cialis system.
We have a meteorite that was found about 40 years ago. It weighs about 25lbs. Any bids?
Nothing really new here. We’ve known about diamond dust from meteorites for a long time.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=diamonds+meteorite&ei=UTF-8&fr=yff35ck
I watched a show about meteorite hunters and they found some with unshattered olivine crystals.
The regular olivine crystals go for around a buck per carot but the unshattered olivine goes for around $1000 per carot.
There is a market for meteorites. Some are worth a considerable amount of money depending on size, type, quality etc.
Not like those pansy soft diamonds we have on Earth.
“Any bids?”
Depends, are there any harder than diamond crystals in it? Alien DNA? Little superstrong babies wearing tights and a cape?
Were doomed now. It is raining carbon.
There no diamonds...it’s a bunch of dilithium crystals...warp drive here we come!!!
This asteroid is a remnant of the Klingon empire.
LOL! (And I hardly ever LOL!)
Some time back there were some threads about just that. Exploding asteroid raining diamonds, ice-age ice sheets, extinctions...those were the days.
There's a lot to like.
Your tag always makes me want to post a thread: what was the first dinner on the day man discovered fire?
Obama’s skull appears to be made of the same material. He appears to be just as hard headed.
The heck with diamonds. Where’s the Kryptonite ??? (grin)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.