Patent ID: 6576211
Filing Date: 2003-06-10
Classification: B01J

Abstract:
A method of making a bonded, coherent material comprising a mass of diamond crystals in a matrix, said method comprisingproviding source diamond crystals substantially free of macroscopically faceted surfaces, producing a reaction mass by bringing the source diamond 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, wherein under the conditions of crystal growth the source diamond crystals are converted to diamond crystals having macroscopic facets of low Miller index, wherein a supersaturation driving force necessary for crystal growth is generated predominantly by the difference in surface free energy between low Miller index surfaces and high Miller index surfaces of the source diamond crystals, and wherein the diamond crystals are single crystals, wherein the diamond content in the material is less than 85% by volume.