SBIR Phase I: Enhancement of Industrial Diamond Strength

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发一种专有技术，将工业金刚石的破碎强度提高30- 40%。 如果成功，该项目将产生一种新的工艺，可以同时处理大量工业钻石。 知识价值包括更好地理解金刚石晶格结构，金刚石残余应力的形成，以及由金刚石内部的外在，内在和晶体对称缺陷引起的晶体缺陷。 这个项目也将提高我们对纳米结构变化引起的材料脆化的理解。 最后但并非最不重要的是，这项研究可以开发更多关于金刚石破碎强度的知识和提高金刚石强度的技术。该项目的广泛影响/商业潜力将在金刚石生产行业中具有重要意义。 2011年，世界工业钻石产量超过50亿克拉。 这项技术将能够增强中低强度钻石的性能，潜在的附加值超过50亿美元。 该技术还将对半导体、汽车、航空航天、手术器械、机械、石油和天然气以及建筑行业至关重要的切割和磨削工具产生重大影响。在这些行业中，石材切割和公路建设/维修是工业钻石需求的最大来源。 此外，在美国生产的每辆汽车平均含有1.5克拉的钻石。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a proprietary technology to enhance the crushing strength of industrial diamonds by 30-40%. If successful, the project will result in a new process which will allow the treatment of large numbers of industrial diamonds at once. The intellectual merit includes a better understanding of diamond crystal lattice structure, formation of diamond residual stresses, and crystal imperfection caused by extrinsic, intrinsic, and crystal symmetry defects inside diamonds. This project will also enhance our understanding of material embrittlement caused by nanoscale structural change. Last but not least, this research could develop more knowledge on diamond crushing strength and technologies for improving diamond strength.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be significant in the diamond production industry. In 2011, the world production of industrial diamonds exceeded five billion carats. This technology will allow the enhancement of properties of low- and medium-strength diamonds, with a potential added value of over $5 billion. The proposed technology will also have a strong impact on cutting and grinding tools, which are critical to the semiconductor, automotive, aerospace, surgical instrument, machinery, oil and gas, and construction industries. Within these sectors, stone cutting and highway building/repair account for the largest sources of demand for industrial diamond. Additionally, every automobile manufactured in the United States contains an average of 1.5 carats of diamond.