The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-23
DIAMONDS FROM SUGAR
RESULTS OF A FRENCH CHEMISTS
COSTLY EXPERIMENTS.
Enormous Degree of Heat and Heavy
Pressure Necessary to
Gems from Carbon.

49,
perhaps. which would be more valued than
anything ever referred TO in cook books
The recipe exists. however. and the opera
tion is possible. but it requires special APP
planes. Sugar is carbon, and diamonds
are carbon. only the latter have been sub
jected to immense heat and tremendous
pressure. The idea that diamonds could be
made out of sugar is nothing new. 1t pre-
vailed many years ago among savants, ana
numerous experiments have been made 10
carry out the process, but without success.
AS long ago as 1898 a French chemist named
Gannal imagined that he had solved the
problem by treating carburet of sulphur
with pure phosphorus. He obtained a num-
Der Of tiny sparkling stones which at first
sight appeared TO be diamonds, but which
were nothing more than particles OF glass
proceeding from the glass tubes which he
had used in the experiment.
Gagniard de Latour. and later Despretz.
continued in the fascinating search which
seemed to promise results surprising the
fabulous philosophers stone"
Despretz used charcoal. which he sub
jected to intense heat produced by an cleo
trio arc and a blowpipe. The result was
that he obtained tiny particles OF gem
like briliancy. which were so hard that
one could cut rubies with them. But they
were not diamonds.
In England a chemis named Marsdeh
succeeded one day in manufacturing tiny
gems which were real diamonds. but he was
never able to repeat the experiment. His
subsequent attempts resulted in the produc-
ton of a crystal so hard that IL would
scratch diamonds and which was called
carborandum 1t was a useful discovery
and the substance is now manufactured Tor
industrial purposes in this country.
EIECTRICTTY EMPLOYED.
NJ. Moissan, a member OF the French In
~stitute, has solved the question of the man
ufacture OF diamonds from carbon sub
stances. NJ. Moissan's diamonds, thus made,
cut real diamonds-the supreme test. The
element that contributed to NJ. Moissan's
success was electricity. He knew that what
was needed TO transform worthless carbon
into precious stones was intense heat and
tremendous pressure, and he attributed the
failure of all his predecessors to the fact
that none of them had been able to obtain
a sufficient degree of heat or a pressure
sufficiently powerful. They had to content
themselves with 1000 degrees centigrade,
the greatest heat possible even in chemists
laboratories. This was plainly insufficient
for the purpose. NJ. MoisSan therefore set
about constructing an electric oven which,
in its present perfection, is capable of pro-
ducing a heat of from 1000 to 5000 degrees
centigrade. In order TO give an Idea or this
heat it may be said that, subjected TO il,
the human body would entirely disappear
in less. than a second of time, without leav-
ing behind IL a particle of ash.
The oven used for the manufacture OF
diamonds is not large enough to cremate
the human body: it is a small, neat and
simple affair. 1t is formed of two blocks Of
limestone, the one fitting on top Of the
other. Both blocks are followed out In
such a way that, wen adjusted, there is,
Two grooves conducting TO the lower half
of this cavity are tunneled out in the lower
block. The two stones are incased in iron,
fastened together by an iron band which is
frightened by a screw.
The two electrodes, connected with a
powerful generator, are pushed into the
groove until they touch a cylindrical char
coal crucible, which has been fitted into
the cylindrical cavity. This charcoal cruel
BILE contains the substance which is to be
subjected to the effects of the heat pro-
duced. AS soon as the current is turned on
huge white flames burst out of the oven on
either side. TIL intensity of this light is
said to be absolutely binding, SO that the
spectator can family realize what a tenn
p~erature of from 1900 to 5000 degrees
means. The limestone of which the oven
Is made is, however, so bad a conductor Of
the enormous heat that the hand may be
placed on the top of the stove during the
operation without the slightest inconven-
fence.
THE PROCESS.
But now to obtain the enormous pressure
ICqulcllO u HI manufacture VI luG uAd-
mond. A source of annoyance to house
holders and Of JOY to plumbers is the pres
sure exerted by ice. Just as this pressure
Is exerted by water in freezing, so does
molten iron, in solidifying. exercise a pres
sure against anything in which 1t may be
inclosed. The more rapid the qualification
the more intense the pressure. Water solid
ihes slowly. and hence the damage it causes
- t>n nnl 4N~z fa not - m N1Ans -
violent nature. NJ. Moissan obtained the
pressure he wanted by the following
method:
He filled the little charcoal crucible with
broken bits OF iron and carbon of sugar,
The crucible was filled in this way about
half its depth. 1t was then placed in the
hollow cavity prepared for its reception in
the lower half Of the ~ele3Lric stove. The
top of the stove was then adjusted, the
electrodes, connected with a powerful gen
orator, were pushed into the grooves tun-
neled out in the lower stone and the cur
rent turned on. A roaring sound ensued,
white flames burst out on either SIDE CT the
electric stove, and a cloud Of white YapOr
hung like a fog overhead.
Two or three minutes later the Upper
stone was removed by means NJ a gigantic
pair of tongs. and the interior % the cleo
trio stone revealed. The charcoal crucible
was bubbling and Kissing with the hotties.
broth of molten metal ever brewed. Their
it was plunged into cold water. and the
molten metal, thus suddenly subjected TO q
temperature lower by several thousand de.
grees than that i'm which 1t had beer
heated, began to sOlidify. When the meta.
was cold and solid throughout ii was re.
moved from the cruclble. This was done by
reaking the charcoal with a hammer. a
shapeless lump Of fretted iron came out
and this lump of iron contained I'm the form
of real diamonds the powdered sugar whicl
was put into the crucihle five or six minute.
before.
The next task was to get these diamonds
out of the iron. This was done by solution
in various acids. 1t was a long and tedious
( process, but finally all the metal disap.
peared. leaving at the bottom OF the las
test tube the precious stones.
Scientists express doubt as to Whether
this discovery will be OF practical use and
lead to a reduction Of the price Of dia-
monds. There is much expense involved in
the process. and the diamonds produced are
small. NJ. Moissan believes the danger lies
elsewhere, however He thinks thai be.
fore long the natural wells or crucibles In
which the splendid gems Of Brazil were
formed will be discovered. Then. indeed
he says, the market will be flooded.
FEARLESS AS EVER.