Is Diamond the hardest thing known to man

Replies

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  Ankita Katdare

  I have read that Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring substance.
  The things harder than diamond are all man-made i.e. synthetic.
  One naturally occuring substance is "Lonsdaleite" ( or hexagonal diamond) which is harder than diamond.
  In nature, it forms when meteorites containing graphite strike the Earth. However it is just a different arrangement of carbon atoms.
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  CE Designer

  I have read about 'nano-diamonds' which are harder than bulk diamond. Nano-diamonds can be formed by placing graphite under high pressures.
  Can you give an example of a synthetic substance that is harder than diamond? A familiar one if any.
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  Keerthivasan Ravisankar

  And for what reason they have been used for cutting of glasses.
  any know the reason..?
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  lovejeet

  actually a girl's heart is the hardest thing known on the earth.........😛
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  Ramani Aswath

  lovejeet

  actually a girl's heart is the hardest thing known on the earth.........😛

  With a screen name like yours unlikely in your case at least. Probably more Amul Butter like.😀
  Quote:(PhysOrg.com) -- Currently, diamond is regarded to be the hardest known material in the world. But by considering large compressive pressures under indenters, scientists have calculated that a material called wurtzite boron nitride (w-BN) has a greater indentation strength than diamond. The scientists also calculated that another material, lonsdaleite (also called hexagonal diamond, since it’s made of carbon and is similar to diamond), is even stronger than w-BN and 58 percent stronger than diamond, setting a new record. Endquote
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  lovejeet

  bioramani

  With a screen name like yours unlikely in your case at least. Probably more Amul Butter like.😀

  lolzzzzzz........ good 1. m speechless...lol
• 

  Ramani Aswath

  rkvasan68

  And for what reason they have been used for cutting of glasses.
  any know the reason..?

  For the obvious reason that diamond is harder than glass. So it scratches it. Actually diamond tipped tools are available to drill holes in glass. I have a much simpler method. You can easily drill glass (and concrete and ceramics) with just a hollow copper tool. File the tip into a rough saw tooth shape, make a paste of emery powder in water with some detergent and drill with the copper bit using this paste at the bit. The emery powder gets embedded in the soft copper. Being harder than glass, the powder bites into the glass. I have used it many times. Even now I use it to drill drain holes in ceramic pots for bonsai use.
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  silverscorpion

  ^^ Maybe a little off topic.. But, what do you mean when you say diamond is "harder" than glass?
  
  Why can't we use normal metal bits to drill or cut glass? Because glass is brittle? Then how does diamond solve it?
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  Ramani Aswath

  silverscorpion

  ^^ Maybe a little off topic.. But, what do you mean when you say diamond is "harder" than glass?
  Why can't we use normal metal bits to drill or cut glass? Because glass is brittle? Then how does diamond solve it?

  Mohs Scale is the commonly used measure of mineral Hardness. This lists 10 common minerals based on which scratches what. Modern usage has added other common items to the list to get intermediate hardness values. Most drill bits fall below glass. Traditionally, diamond impregnated bits are used to drill glass and other ceramics.
  Mohs Scale Of Mineral Hardness
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  CE Designer

  silverscorpion

  ^^ Maybe a little off topic.. But, what do you mean when you say diamond is "harder" than glass?
  
  Why can't we use normal metal bits to drill or cut glass? Because glass is brittle? Then how does diamond solve it?

  The same thought crossed my mind SS, my guess is that the diamond tip wont get dull
• 

  CE Designer

  Ramani is right, i looked at Mohs scale, it is surprising to know that glass is harder than both steel and platinum. Glass has a Mohs number bet. 6 & 7 while steel and platinum bet. 4 & 4.5
  So steel tips would get dull afterall 😎
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  Keerthivasan Ravisankar

  CE Designer

  The same thought crossed my mind SS, my guess is that the diamond tip wont get dull

  Yes you are right CE Designer, Diamond tips are harder and the tip can't get blunt easily so,
  they are used for cutting of glasses.😐😨
• 

  ironman

  silverscorpion

  ^^ Maybe a little off topic.. But, what do you mean when you say diamond is "harder" than glass?
  
  Why can't we use normal metal bits to drill or cut glass? Because glass is brittle? Then how does diamond solve it?

  
  
  Thats the same doubt i had. Thank you for answering it, bioramani sir.
• 

  saptm

  silicon carbide is the most hardest metal.Infact it is harder then diamond.
• 

  Ramani Aswath

  saptm

  silicon carbide is the most hardest metal.Infact it is harder then diamond.

  SiC is softer than diamond. Please see the Mohs Scale at the link in post 10 above.
• 

  saptm

  bioramani

  SiC is softer than diamond. Please see the Mohs Scale at the link in post 10 above.

  You r right sir, diamond has 10 mohs no , SiC has 9.5 mohs no. but there is more than one crystal form for SiC; cubic, hexagonal, etc. Some forms of SiC might be slightly harder than diamond.
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  saptm

  Infact wurtzite boron nitride is equally harder than that of diamond.
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  Ramani Aswath

  saptm

  Infact wurtzite boron nitride is equally harder than that of diamond.

  As far as I know diamond is harder than all forms of SiC. That there are materials harder than diamond is not questioned.
• 

  zaveri

  when i was in school, i heard that the hardest mineral is granite.
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  Ramani Aswath

  zaveri

  when i was in school, i heard that the hardest mineral is granite.

  Diamond wheels are actually used to cut granite.
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  hagomuk

  CE Designer

  I know diamond is the hardest MINERAL known to man but is there any other material that is harder?

  Well now there are two materials exist which are harder than diamond
  1. wurtzite boron nitride ( 18% harder than diamond)
  2.

  Lonsdaleite also known as hexagonal diamond ( 58% harder than diamond)​

  
  

  Source: ​

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