NEW HARDER THAN DIAMOND

[Lycurgus]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35198934/ns ... e-science/


Why isn't there an article about this on Space.com yet?


OMG can you imagine the implications of this for our industrial processes?

 

[EarthlingX]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35198934/ns/technology_and_science-science/


Why isn't there an article about this on Space.com yet?

Maybe because:

However, there is no way at the present to compare them to the artificial ultra-hard diamonds known as lonsdaleiteand boron nitride, Ferroir said.

OMG can you imagine the implications of this for our industrial processes?

Honestly, don't have a clue. Please go on.

 

[PiotrSatan]

*facepalm* even if they were hardest object ever existing, do you know how big a meteorite is? Do you know how to get it on Earth to get these crystals excavaged? Do you even have an idea how much a crystal would cost considering current technological possibilities and that theres like >1% chance to mine max possible amount of these crystals if it is even possible? Using titanium to every possible object would be more efficient and cheaper than 20 grams of these crystals mined from the space not including the fuel cost and vehicle repair cost. Would you rather to pay for 1$ candy which is in your nearby candystore or travel all the way from US to China to get better candy for 5000$? Because that is what is, on example, in comparision with most expensive material on Earth known, I believe.

 

[Astro_Robert]

The article mentioned trying to synthezise this material in the lab, just like other materials including gem grade diamonds can be lab grown. No-where did the author imply trying to harest this stuff from meteorites. If this could be grown in the lab in a large enough scale to be tested, then potentially it could also be grown in an industrial process for some other purpose, if fore some reason people needed a material of such hardness and whatever other properties the material might have.

Keep in mind, graphene has also been discovered to have interesting properties, and can be produced in the lab.

 

[EarthlingX]

The article mentioned trying to synthezise this material in the lab, just like other materials including gem grade diamonds can be lab grown. No-where did the author imply trying to harest this stuff from meteorites. If this could be grown in the lab in a large enough scale to be tested, then potentially it could also be grown in an industrial process for some other purpose, if fore some reason people needed a material of such hardness and whatever other properties the material might have.

Yea, but how this compares to what is already on the market ? That is the info missing to be able to say anything, unfortunately.
Let's wait a bit, it might get more interesting, with more data. I more or less try to follow happenings on the 'carbon' front, but this doesn't impress me so much, it is interesting though.

Keep in mind, graphene has also been discovered to have interesting properties, and can be produced in the lab.

Some of the later graphene related news, only from the physorg.com, i would rather not include more.
Carbon Based Chips May One Day Replace Silicon Transistors
European researchers make breakthrough in developing super-material graphene
Graphene-Based Nanomat Could Lead to Next-Generation Catalysts

Here is what they have to say about this one:
Meteorite yields carbon crystals harder than diamond

Professor Ferroir said there is currently no way to compare the structure of the new crystals to boron nitride and lonsdaleite, the artificially manufactured ultra-hard diamonds, but the findings help scientists gain a better understanding of carbon polymorphs and give them new materials to investigate and perhaps synthesize. They also show the carbon system is more complex than previously thought.

Important find, just not so much space related - ok, they did find it in meteorite