Patent ID: 6270548
Filing Date: 2001-08-07
Classification: B01J,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of making a bonded coherent material comprising a mass of diamond crystals in a matrix, comprising providing a source of diamond crystals, providing a plurality of growth 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 a reaction zone of a high temperature/high pressure apparatus to produce the material and removing the material from the reaction zone, wherein supersaturation of carbon in the solvent/catalyst is achieved, and is achieved predominantly by a selection of particle size difference between the source crystal and the growth centers,wherein the content of source and growth centers diamond, together, in the reaction mass is less than 80 percent by volume, andwherein the mass of diamond crystals in the bonded, coherent material contains at least 40 percent of synthetic twinned diamonds.