What is diamond?
What is synthetic diamond?
What is the ways to synthesize diamond?
What is the characteristic of different synthetic ways?
What ways does SUKAN adopt to synthesize diamond?
What is synthetic single crystal diamond?
What is the atomic structure of Synthetic Single Crystal Diamond?
How is diamond size measured?
What is the standard to classify the quality of diamond?
What is the application of different standard diamond?
What is coated diamond?
Why are some ultra-hard grits metal coated?
What is PCD ( Polycrystalline Diamond)
What are the main applications for PCD?
What is diamond Micron powder?
What is the application for diamond Micron powder?

What is diamond?


A natural and synthetic mineral composed of carbon atoms in a specific crystalline structure. it is the physically hardest substance known and is now widely used as an abrasive in high productivity tools in industry.
Diamond also has remarkable physical properties such as:
Density (g/cm3) 3.52
Compressive strength (GPa) 8.68
Fracture toughness (MPam1/2) 3.40
Knoop hardness (GPa) 57 - 104
Young's modulus [GPa] 1141
Thermal expansion [10-6K-1] 1.5 - 4.8
Thermal conductivity [Wm-1K-1] 500 – 2000
Wear coefficient 2.14 - 5.49

What is synthetic diamond?
Synthetic diamond can be synthesized using techniques, which emulate the natural geological growth of diamond. This involves using high pressure/high temperature (HPHT) synthesis process, which converts the soft graphite carbon into the very hard crystalline form of carbon - diamond (crystallization) or direct conversion using explosives to generate short duration pressure and temperature shock waves. Various industries take advantage of diamonds remarkable physical properties. Principal mechanical applications are sawing, drilling, grinding, cutting, lapping and polishing, truing.

What is the ways to synthesize diamond?
There are many ways to synthesize diamond, but only a few technologies are adopted in Ultra-hard Materials industry. Synthetic diamond can be produced through high temperature and high pressure or made through its growth on inferior stable condition. The technology by high temperature and high pressure can be divided into two kinds: one is to synthesize diamond through stable pressure with catalyst and the other is to produce diamond directly. The technology to make diamond on inferior stable condition of diamond can be classified to two kinds: one is that diamond is produced by its growth in thin film shape on low pressure, and the other is that diamond is synthesized on ordinary pressure and high temperature.

What is the characteristic of different synthetic ways?
The technology of producing diamond on stable pressure with catalyst is that: on condition of thermodynamic stability of diamond, synthetic diamond is produced through high temperature and high pressure (by belt-type press or cubic press) with graphite as raw materials and metal/alloy as catalyst. Most of ultra-hard material companies (about 90%) adopt this way to produce synthetic diamond.

The technology of producing diamond directly through stable pressure does not use catalyst, but it needs higher pressure and temperature and thus needs better press, so it is not widely adopted in trade.
The technology of producing synthetic diamond on high pressure and temperature realized by detonator explosion can produce micron diamond crystal which is often imperfect and brittle. This technology does not need expensive equipment and can realize high productivity, but it is difficult to control temperature.

What way does SUKAN adopt to synthesize diamond?
SUKAN synthetic diamond is produced through stable pressure with catalyst by belt type press and cubic press with sheet graphite or powder graphite as material.

SUKAN RSD diamonds, produced with best raw materials by belt type press, reach the highest level of quality standard. Their best characteristics, including low impurities, improved shape and color, excellent toughness index and thermal toughness index, make them especially suitable for High Temperature Sintering.

SUKAN RBD diamonds are produced by cubic press. They have similar properties with RSD series, thus provide an economical choose of high grade diamond grit, and it is ideal for low temperature sintering.

SUKAN RMD diamonds are medium quality diamond grits with a wide range of usage and good performance in each particular application, including drilling, sawing and grinding.

SUKAN RRB diamonds have superior bond retention for their sharp shape, and are self-sharpening for their friability. They are suitable for grinding and polishing non-ferrous materials.

What is synthetic single crystal diamond?


Synthetic single crystal diamond is manufactured for industrial applications. It’s produced by high pressure / high temperature (HPHT) synthesis process and strictly controlled crystal growth conditions. Repeatable physical characteristics and dimensional consistency are the notable features of synthetic single crystal diamond. For example, SUKAN offers various series of synthetic single crystal diamond such as RSD/RBD/RMD/RRB series. To know the detail the products, please feel free to view the products column in our website.

What is the atomic structure of Synthetic Single Crystal Diamond?


Synthetic single crystal diamond has an identical physical structure to that of natural single crystal diamond. The basic diamond atomic structure, described by its unit cell, can be pictured as a face-centered cube (as shown above) with a carbon atom in the middle of each face and four more atoms arranged diagonally opposite each other in pairs, with the upper plane offset at a right angle to the lower plane. Unlike graphite, the individual planes are not flat but corrugated. In diamond, each carbon atom is connected to four other carbon atoms by covalent bonds. In the simplest case, these four atoms form a perfect tetrahedron. Due to covalent bonding between the atoms there are no free electrons and synthetic diamond is normally not electrically conducting. In the case for synthetic diamond, one or more of the carbon atoms might be replaced (or substituted) with nitrogen atoms, giving the diamond a yellow color.

How is diamond grit measured?
Diamond abrasives are traditionally sold in US mesh size ranges, these mesh sizes are defined by the mesh size of sieves used to separate the diamond particles. The sieve sizes are graduated and defined by the number of lines per inch of each sieve e.g. 50 lines per inch or 20 lines per inch. The diamond is then sold in overlapping mesh size ranges. This means for example in a sample of 40/50 US mesh diamond most of the material would fall between the 40 mesh and the 50 mesh sieve. International standards permit that a small amount of oversize and undersize material is permitted, but this is usually no more than 2-4%.

What is the standard to classify the quality of diamond?
There are a few kinds of criterions to classify the quality of diamond, including crystal shape, strength, impact toughness, thermal stability, etc. So diamond always is classified into a few series according to their characteristics, for example, SUKAN diamond can be classified into RSD, RBD, RMD and RRB series.

What is the application of different standard diamond?
Diamond grit always is applied in different use area according to its quality characteristic. The diamond series from SUKAN can make good example to explain it. SUKAN RSD series, because of their low impurities, improved shape and color, excellent toughness index and thermal toughness index, are especially suitable for high temperature sintering and made of geological drilling or various saws. SUKAN RBD series are good for sawing and drilling application and they are ideal for low temperature sintering to be made of tools to machining granite, concrete, tough marble. SUKAN RMD series are medium quality diamond grits and are suitable for wide range of application such as grinding and sawing of glass, marble, rock. SUKAN RRB diamonds have superior bond retention for their sharp shape, and are self-sharpening for their friability. They are suitable for grinding and polishing non-ferrous materials.

What is coated diamond?
Coated diamond refers to the diamond with metal coverage on the crystals, and coated diamond is highly adhesive in bond system and better thermal stable. Thus the tools life and processing cost are remarkably improved. SUKAN can offer various coated diamond with upon request.

Why are some ultra-hard grits metal coated?
Metal coating can be classified two kinds. One is Metal cladding comprising a thick layer of typically nickel or copper which can be up to 60% of the total particle weight. These clad particles are generally used in resin bonded tools such as grinding wheels. The effect of the cladding is to improve the retention of the abrasive in the bond and help dissipate the heat generated during grinding and hence improve performance of the tool. Another is Metal coating comprises a thin layer of metal, such as titanium. When used in bonds which use high temperatures during their manufacture such as some metal and vitrified bond systems these coatings can improve particle retention and protects the diamond during manufacturing of the tool/segment.


What is PCD ( Polycrystalline Diamond)


PCD refers specifically to diamond particles which have been sintered together into a coherent structure using a chemo-mechanical binder and high-pressure, high-temperature conditions similar to those used in single crystal diamond synthesis. These sintered PCD materials have extensive range of uses, most notably for cutting tools machining non-ferrous metals and non-metallic materials and for wear parts. An advantage of these materials is that their structure and composition can be engineered to have properties tailored to specific applications and operations. SUKAN can offer PCD specified by customers, and PCD with metal layer formed on the surface available upon requests.

What are the main applications of PCD?
The best application of PCD can be classified three kinds of area as below:
(1) Cutting non-ferrous metals and alloys.
(2) Cutting wood particle board (particularly medium density fibreboard - MDF, and chipboard in the furniture industry).
(3) Non-cutting applications such as wear-parts.

What is diamond Micron powder?
Diamond micron powder refers to very fine abrasives made of diamond crystal. They are used, for instance, in precision machining and polishing applications. Applications include the use of micron diamond as loose powder, in for instance polishing, or in bonded tools, such as grinding wheels. Sukan can supply a variety of diamond Micro powder product.

What is the application for diamond Micron powder?
Diamond Micron powder is used extensively in electronics, aviation and space flight, optical instrument, glass, ceramics, petroleum, geology and other fields. Diamond Micron powder is the best material for grinding and polishing hard alloy, ceramics, gem stones and optical glass.