Researchers accidentally turn this common material into diamonds

Is this a new technique for large-scale recycling? A highly technical manoeuvre to drive down the value of diamonds or a get-rich scheme? What is certain is that the researchers in charge of this programme have made quite a discovery! Even Jesus didn't believe in turning plastic into micro diamonds.

Biblical miracle or scientific discovery?

Indeed, an international team of scientists has succeeded in turning this biblical miracle into reality by transforming cheap polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into nanodiamonds, synthetic microscopic diamonds. Who would have thought it?

Dominik Kraus, the co-author of the study and professor at the Institute of Physics at the University of Rostock, explained to Treehugger:

Within a few nanoseconds, [...] 10% of all the carbon atoms in this plastic sample are transformed into very small diamonds.

These nano-diamonds could be very useful to science in the future! They could have particularly interesting technological applications

The chemistry of planets

Published in the journal Science Advances in the autumn of 2022, the results of this research were totally unexpected, explains Dominik Kraus. Indeed, the aim of the study was not at all about ecology in the first place. The initial objective was to understand the chemistry of planets such as Uranus and Neptune. This is a far cry from recycling plastic into a gemstone. He explains:

Originally, the aim was to get a better idea of the kind of chemistry that occurs inside giant planets like Neptune and Uranus,

A laser to turn plastic into diamond

In order to reproduce the extreme weather conditions of these planets (several thousand degrees higher, record atmospheric pressure and a powerful gravitational pull), the scientists used an X-ray laser. They experimented with it on a simple plastic film and the result did not disappoint them!

This experiment also supports the suppositions of many astronomers who indicate that the meteorological conditions of Uranus or Neptune would create a 'superionic water' which is itself responsible for diamond falls in the form of rain. It's a dream come true!

This article was translated from Gentside FR.

Source used:

-Treehugger: Scientists Used Lasers to Transform Plastic Into Tiny Diamonds