May Yet Make Diamonds

1905

Inventors Hope to Eliminate Silicon from New Carbon Compound

Utilization of waste products has taken a long step forward, according to the inventors of a new furnace, as by their method of combustion the well-known abrasive, in its present chemical combination of silicon and carbon, is simply a byproduct and until its identity with the commercial product was established was given away for ornaments, valued because of their attractive crystalline formation and peculiar coloring.

Since its value was indicated the waste has been subjected to all sorts of tests and in some instances has shown a slightly greater degree of hardness than the carborundum produced by means of the electric current applied at enormous voltage for a number of hours, which is slightly less than that of the diamond.

This fact has started investigations which lead to the hope, based, it is said, on good foundation, that the silicon may be entirely eliminated from the product, leaving it pure carbon, chemically the counterpart of the diamond. It is asserted that with a proper selection of materials for combustion in the furnace this result can be obtained, and while the carborundum at present produced has a high commercial value the investors are not inclined to rest content with that if anything more valuable is in sight.