Aggregated diamond nanorods

Aggregated diamond nanorods, or ADNRs, are an allotrope of carbon believed to be the least compressible material known to man, as measured by its isothermal bulk modulus; aggregated diamond nanorods have a modulus of 491 gigapascals (GPa), while conventional diamond has a modulus of 442 GPa. ADNRs are also 0.3% denser than regular diamond. The ADNR material is also harder than type IIa diamond and ultrahard fullerite.

Related Topics:
Allotrope - Carbon - Isothermal bulk modulus - Gigapascal - Diamond - Ultrahard fullerite

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A process to produce the substance was discovered by physicists in Germany, led by Natalia Dubrovinskaia, at the University of Bayreuth in 2005. ADNRs are made by compressing the carbon-60 molecules to 20 GPa, while at the same time heating to 2500 Kelvin, using a unique 5000 metric tonne multianvil press. The resulting substance is a series of interconnected diamond nanorods, with diameters of between 5 and 20 nanometres and lengths of around 1 micrometre each.

Related Topics:
Germany - University of Bayreuth - 2005 - Kelvin - Nanometre - Micrometre

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A diamond anvil cell, located at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility at Grenoble, France, was used to measure the compressibility of the material.

Related Topics:
Diamond anvil cell - European Synchrotron Radiation Facility - Grenoble - France

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