The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-09-02
How Diamonds Were Made.

1t will be fresh in the memory of
some of our readers that few months
ago q statement was made to the effect
that diamonds had been artifcially pro-
duced in Glasgow by process not yet
divulged, and that, having been exam
ined, by the highest chem cal and miner
illogical authorities, the new gems had
been found to satisfy all the conditions
hitherto alone supplied by the diamonds
from natures own laboratory. When,
however, it became known that the new
diamonds were almost microscopical, and
that a gem worth 10 shillings cost So to
make, the interest in the subject some
what diminished. 1t has, however, re-
vived on the publication by Mr.. G. B.
Hannay,. in the recently issued number
of the proceedings of the Royal So
ciety," of the precise method by which
he obtained his startling and novel re-
suits. And if only as record of in
domitable perseverance against ever-in-
creasing difficulties, Of scientific acumen,
and of the true application of the Ba-
CONAN method of research, it is worthy
of study. Some idea of the nature of
the investigation may be obtained from
the fact that out of eighty complex and
EXPENSE, e experiments only three sue
ceeded. Violent explosions We're fire.
quent furnaces were blown to pieces;
steel tubes burst, scattering their frag
ments around On other occasions,
tubes which had been carefully prepared,
filled, welded and nested in a reverbera.
tory furnace for many hours, were found
to have leaked and spoiled the expert
ment. "The continued strain on the
nerves." writes Mr.. Hannay, watching
the temperature of the furnace, and in
a state of tension in case Of an expo
sion, induces nervous state which is
extremely weakening, and when the ex.
plosion occurs it sometimes shakes one
so severely that sickness supervenes.
The demonstrating experiments
were started in September, 1879, when
Mr.. Hannay made many attempts to
find solvent for the alkali metal sodi-
UNI potassium and lithium. But in no
instance could such a solvent be found
which did not in the gaseous state, and
under pressure, unite with the alkali.
Even in the case of hydrocarbons, such
as paraffine spirit containing only ny
drogen and carbon, and alkali combined
with the hydrogen, setting free the car
bon. Now, as we know, diamond is
pure carbon, hence when the element
was set free from a pure substance, it
was thought that conditions Of pressure
ana temperature might eliminate it in
the hard, crystalline, adamantine form,
viz, as diamond. Glass tubes were first
employed, but although of great thick
ness in comparison with their bore, they
were found tc be insuiiiciently strong,
and they were replaced by wrought iron
tubes twenty inches long by one inch
diameter, and having the diameter OF
the bore half an inch In these lithium
was heated fer many hours to high
temperature in paratfine spirit, and on
subsequently opening the tube carbon in
hard form was found within it. Great
difficulty was experienced in getting the
tubes perfectly air,tight, and eventually
the open end was welded at a white heat,
and by that means alone did it resist leak
age Sometimes tubes would burst with
an exT losion like gun. A tube TWEEN
ty inches long by two and three quarters
diameter and half an inch bore was
filled with a hydrocarbon made from
bone oil, to which some charcoal powder
was added in order to keep an excess OF
carbon in the tube. It's open end was
welded and it was heated for fourteen
hours with ithium. On opening it
quantity of gas appeared and some mi
cute pieces of hard carbon, which had
evidently separated out from solution.
Another similar tube burst at the end of
eight hours heating. A tube Of cast
ron no less than three and three-quar-
ter inches diameter and with bore of
only quarters of an inch, exploded
at the end Of an hour with fearful re-
port, wrecking the furnace. Several
tubes of steel also burst under the enor-
nous pressure, at last sha. tering the top
of the furnace The author remarks
that in nature the temperature must at
one time been much higher than any
thing we can now produce artifcialIy;
while the pressure obtained at depth
of 200 miles below the earth s surface is
greater Than that which any of the ma
terials from which we can form vessels