Other

Moosa Mahomed Adia

Lesley Kay Hedges

Geoffrey John Davies

Aulette Stewart

Raymond Albert Chapman

Klaus Tank

Rex J Keddy

Tom L Nam

Bronwyn Annette Roberts

Stuart H Robertson

James Wilbert Campbell

A cubic boron nitride cluster comprises a core () and an overgrown region, the overgrown region containing a plurality of cubic boron nitride crystallites () extending outwards from the core (). The majority of the cubic boron nitride crystallites () have a cross-sectional area which increases as the distance from the core () increases. A method of producing cubic boron nitride clusters is also provided.

Cubic boron nitride clusters

The invention provides a mass of crystals, particularly diamond crystals, having a size of less than 100 microns and in which mass the majority of the crystals are faceted single crystals. The invention further provides a method of producing such a mass of crystals which utilizes crystal growth under elevated temperature and pressure conditions, the supersaturation driving force necessary for crystal growth being dependent, at least in part, on the difference in surface free energy between low Miller index surfaces and high Miller index surfaces of the crystals. Preferably, the method is carried out under conditions where the Wulff effect dominates.

Crystal growth

A diamond cluster includes a core and an overgrown region containing a plurality of diamond crystallites extending outwards from the core, the majority of the crystallites having a cross-sectional area which increases as the distance of the crystallite from the core increases. Generally, at least 80% of the crystallites have a cross-sectional area which increases as the distance of the crystallite from the core increases. Furthermore, a method of producing a plurality of the diamond clusters includes the stops of providing a source of carbon, providing a plurality of growth center particles, each comprising a bonded mass of constituent particles, producing a reaction mass by bringing the carbon source and growth center particles into contact with a solvent/catalyst, subjecting the reaction mass to conditions of elevated temperature and pressure suitable for crystal growth, and recovering a plurality of diamond clusters from the reaction mass.

Growth of diamond clusters

A method of making a bonded, coherent material comprising a mass of crystals, preferably diamond crystals, in a matrix is provided. The steps include providing a source of the crystals of the type to be grown and which are substantially free of macroscopically faceted surfaces, producing a reaction mass by bringing the source crystals into contact with a suitable solvent/catalyst, subjecting the reaction mass to conditions of elevated temperature and pressure suitable for crystal growth in the reaction zone of a high temperature/high pressure apparatus to produce the material and removing the material from the reaction zone, the conditions of crystal growth being chosen such that the source crystals are converted to crystals having developed macroscopic facets of low Miller index. Preferably the conditions of elevated temperature and pressure used are such that the Wulff effect dominates.

Crystal-containing material

Diamond crystals may be grown by providing a source of diamond crystals, providing a plurality of growth centers defined by diamond crystals, mixing the source and growth center diamond crystals with a solvent/catalyst in particulate form to form a reaction mass, subjecting the reaction mass to conditions of elevated temperature and pressure suitable for crystal growth, and recovering the diamond crystals. The necessary supersaturation of carbon is achieved in the solvent/catalyst, at least in part, and preferably predominantly, by a selection of the particle size difference between the source crystal and the growth centers. The mass of diamond crystals produced by this method has a high concentration of twinned diamonds.

Diamond growth

A method of making a bonded, coherent material comprising a mass of diamond crystals in a matrix, which optionally contains another phase. The method includes the steps of providing a source of diamond crystals, providing a plurality of diamond centers defined by diamond crystals, producing a reaction mass by bringing the source and growth centers into contact with a solvent/catalyst, subjecting the reaction mass to conditions of elevated temperature and pressure suitable for crystal growth in the reaction zone of a high temperature/high pressure apparatus to produce the material, and removing the material from the reaction zone. The method is characterized by providing the necessary supersaturation of carbon in the solvent/catalyst, at least in part and preferably predominantly, by a selection of particle size difference between the source crystal and the growth centers. The mass of diamond crystals in the matrix of the bonded, coherent material of the invention has a high concentration of twinned diamonds.

Sintering process for diamond and diamond growth

Cubic boron nitride having an impurity profile as set out below has been found to exhibit excellent thermoluminescent properties with a high gamma radiation sensitivity and low light sensitivity:

Method of detecting or measuring nuclear radiation

A method is provided for producing large cubic boron nitride crystals having the size of 0.1 carat or larger. The method involves providing a reaction vessel which contains CBN seed material (32), a CBN source (26) separated from the seed material and sandwiched between two masses (22) (24) of solvent/catalyst for CBN synthesis which is capable of melting under CBN synthetic conditions, and contains sufficient hexagonal boron nitride to saturate the catalyst with boron nitride when molten, the separation of seed material and source material being such that under the operating conditions of CBN synthesis a temperature gradient is created between the seed material and the source material with the seed material being located at a point near the minimum value of temperature of the temperature gradient and the source material being located at a point near the maximum value of temperature of the temperature gradient, placing that reaction vessel in the reaction zone of a high temperature/high pressure apparatus and subjecting the contents of the reaction vessel to conditions of temperature and pressure in the CBN stable region of the boron nitride phase diagram for a period of at least several hours and not more than 24 hours.

Growing community of inventors

Brackenhurst, South Africa

Lesley Kay Hedges