Carbon changes into diamond and graphite in the depths of the earth under high pressure and temperature.The process might have taken millions of years.A French scientist,Moissan,verified this theory by experiment.He heated carbon(as charcoal) and iron together in an electric furnace at 3,500 degrees celcius.Carbon dissolved in the molten iron and the mass was cooled suddenly by dipping in water.Then it was put in acid.The iron dissolved and the residue was found to contain a few very small diamonds (less than one millimetre in size) and some graphite .These results were confirmed by others too.Today diamonds are mass-produced by this method.
Artificial diamonds have the same structure,density and hardness as natural diamonds,but are very small.They are also opaque to x rays.Hence they are used mostly for making hard-edged cutting tools and dies and for cutting and polishing natural diamonds,and not for making ornaments.
Artificial diamonds have the same structure,density and hardness as natural diamonds,but are very small.They are also opaque to x rays.Hence they are used mostly for making hard-edged cutting tools and dies and for cutting and polishing natural diamonds,and not for making ornaments.
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