DIAMONDS: THE HARDEST OF MINERALS

What do a glittering diamond and a lead pencil have in common?
Diamonds are very hard and the graphite of the pencil's tip is very
soft. These two different substances contain a wonderful proof of
creation called carbon.
A rough, unpolished diamond is the hardest of all minerals.(1) For
this reason, a crystal diamond is used to cut and to drill all kinds
of material and is also used as an abrasive to smooth surfaces. (2)
Hardness is the resistance of a mineral to scratches from outside
forces; it is easy to recognize minerals by this trait. By scratching
one mineral with another, their relative hardness can be determined.
Scientists use a point system to designate the hardness of all
minerals. They rate diamonds with the highest ratio of ten over ten.
So, what makes diamonds so hard?
It is very interesting that the soft, breakable graphite in a pencil
tip is made up of the same atoms as a diamond. Graphite is composed of
the same carbon atoms as a diamond. But, while one is very soft, the
other is extremely hard.One is as black as a lump of charcoal; the
other may be sparkling bright. One is commonly found in nature; the
other is rare. For all these reasons, diamonds are much more valuable
than graphite. How is it then, that carbon atoms can be so different
from one another?
Carbon: The Foundation of Life
(The Value of Diamonds is Determined by its Atoms)
Before we consider the differences, we must speak about the carbon
atoms that make up a diamond. The carbon atom is very important for
living creatures. Nevil Sidgwick, the English chemist, states the
following in his book, Chemical Elements and Their Compounds:
Carbon is unique among the elements in the number and variety of the
compounds which it can form. Over a quarter of a million have already
been isolated and described, but this gives a very imperfect idea of
its powers, since it is the basis of allforms of living matter. (3)
The class of compounds formed exclusively from carbon and hydrogen are
called hydrocarbons. This is a huge family of compounds that include
natural gas, liquid petroleum, kerosene, and lubricating oils. The
hydrocarbons ethylene and propylene form the basis of the
petrochemical industry. Hydrocarbons like benzene, toluene, and
turpentine are familiar to anyone who has worked with paints. The
naphthalene that protects our clothes from moths is another
hydrocarbon. Hydrocarbons combined with chlorine or fluorine form
anesthetics, whichare the chemicals used in fire extinguishers and the
Freon used in refrigeration.
As one can see, carbon is very important; it is what makes the diamond
a rare mineral. A diamond has no rival for being the finest example of
a crystalline structure in the world. The carbon atoms that give the
diamond crystal its hardness have an ideal geometric design. Graphite
is also formed from carbon but its atoms are not ordered as in a
diamond. Scientists describe thisdifference by the world allotropy.
The Concept of Allotropy
The difference, in the arrangement of space, in the atoms that make up
the structure of an element is called allotropy. The atoms that
produce the structure are called allotrope atoms. We can explain this
with the following example:
Imagine that we have bought three loads of 10,000 bricks eachand that
all these brinks are identical to one another. We have sent these
brinks to three different bricklayers who will each build a wall to
their own design independently of the others.
-Would the walls be identical?
-Would they all have the same sturdiness?
-Would the artistic arrangement of the bricks be similar?
If the answer to these questionsis yes, the wall will not be allotropic.
If the answer to these questionsis no, we can call the walls allotropic.
Oxygen and ozone are allotropesof oxygen atoms.
Diamonds, graphite, and amorph carbon are allotropes ofcarbon atoms.
White phosphorus and red phosphorus are allotropes of phosphorus atoms.
Rhombic sulfur and monocline sulfur are allotropes of sulfur.
Characteristics of Allotrope Atoms:
- The atom and its atomic number are the same.
- Their molecular geometry is different.
- They have different inclinationsto enter chemical reactions, but the
compounds formed by such a reaction are the same.
- The molecular sturdiness is different.
Some physical characteristics of diamonds and graphite have been
explained as follows:
All the qualities that give diamonds their value are relatedto
conditions that emerge during their formation. For the natural
formation of a diamond, excessive heat and pressure are needed.
Diamonds are formed deep in the earth's crust. Bits of melted diamond
may erupt to the surface and freeze but this happens very rarely. This
is the reason why there are very few diamond deposits in the world and
why the number of rich deposits is very small.
The natural structure and formation of diamonds has shown scientists
the way to produce artificial diamonds. Diamonds have been produced in
experiments in which graphite has been subjected to 100 thousand
atmospheres of pressure in 3000-degree heat. However, synthetic
diamonds are not as valuable as natural ones but because of their
hardness, they are used as industrial abrasive.
Where Diamonds are Used:
Three Kinds of Diamonds:
1.) Original Diamonds:These are the original, valuable diamonds. They
are measured in karats. One karat equals 0.205 grams. They are used as
jewelry.
2.) Bort:A semi-transparent and striated diamond. It is harder than an
original diamond and it is used to carve high quality diamonds. In the
drilling industry, these diamonds are used for drill bits.
3.) Carbonado:This is a black, uncarved diamond. It is harder than an
original diamond and it is used in the manufacturing of drilling
equipment.
As Sidgwick has pointed out, thecarbon atom, which has only six
protons, six neutrons and six electrons is a genuine/true miracle. The
fact that a difference in the arrangements between the atoms produces
such differences that yield such incredible possibilities for human
beings is enough to understand that these formations come from the
graceof Allah. Like every proof of creation in nature, Allah has
created carbon and diamonds with all their qualities.
What is in the heavens and in the Earth belongs to Allah. Allah
encompasses all things. (Qur'an,4:126)
DiamondsGraphite
Structural AtomCarbon
Carbon
MELTING POINT
High
Straight
Low
Straight
Molecular ArrangementSquare
Hexigon
Hardness
Hard
Soft
Permeability to Light
permeableimpermeable
1 L. Vlasanov & D. Trifonov, 107 stories About Chemistry, Mir Publishers, 1977.
2 http://www.maden.org.tr /www/7.BYKP/ekutup96 /o480/kiymetli_taslar
/kiymetli_ve_yari.htm
3 Nevil V.Sidgwick, The Chemical Elements and Their Compounds, vol.1,
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1950, s.490