Is it possible to dissolve diamonds with water?

pkt · Apr 2, 2017

Is it possible to dissolve diamonds with water?

alan2 · Apr 2, 2017

No.

mfb · Apr 2, 2017

Do you see any reason to expect that?

No. At least not in any relevant amount.

pkt · Apr 2, 2017

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-03/superheated-water-etches-diamond

Never underestimate dihydrogen monoxide.

jedishrfu · Apr 2, 2017

@pkt if you knew the answer why did you post the question?

PF is here to help students with questions from STEM subjects. We are a team of volunteers here trying to help out and we don't pose questions to fool others. It is our hope that you won't repeat this strategy in the future.

mfb · Apr 2, 2017

That is not really "dissolving diamonds in water". They superheated water and put it under extremely high pressure between diamonds and graphene. That damaged the diamond.

alan2 · Apr 2, 2017

pkt said: ↑

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-03/superheated-water-etches-diamond

Never underestimate dihydrogen monoxide.

They didn't dissolve diamond in water.

ZapperZ · Apr 2, 2017

pkt said: ↑

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-03/superheated-water-etches-diamond

Never underestimate dihydrogen monoxide.

If this is what you mean by "dissolve", then you have a very strange and unconventional definition of it. So not only should you have posted this link at the very beginning of your post, you should have also revealed your personal definition of "dissolve".

Otherwise, this is not what we conventionally will call "dissolve".

Zz.

nuuskur · Apr 2, 2017

Smells like a philosopher's spirit. AFAIK, this community is not about that life.

pkt · Apr 2, 2017

[Mentor's note: Some unnecessary snark, in violation of the Physics Forums rules, has been edited out of this post]

Etching is very much dissolving.

mfb · Apr 2, 2017

You just didn't understand the article you linked later, or you phrased your question in a wrong way.

Can helium dissolve a diamond? No. But if you shoot helium nuclei (or atoms) at a diamond you can certainly etch some material away.

Vanadium 50 · Apr 2, 2017

pkt said: ↑

Etching is very much dissolving.

When you get to the bottom of a hole, it's best to stop digging.

What they are doing is not dissolving since the water does not contain any carbon in solution afterwards.

pkt said: ↑

stump the egghead and I got two on the first try

Again, when you get to the bottom of a hole, it's best to stop digging.

Vanadium 50 · Apr 2, 2017

mfb said: ↑

But if you shoot helium nuclei (or atoms) at a diamond you can certainly etch some material away.

Or a laser. Does that mean carbon dissolves in light?

Andy SV · Apr 2, 2017

Any form of erosion will etch
But the process of abrasion with a non solvent will only form a suspension not a solution

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Is it possible to dissolve diamonds with water?

pkt

alan2

mfb

Staff: Mentor

pkt

jedishrfu

Staff: Mentor

mfb

Staff: Mentor

alan2

ZapperZ

nuuskur

pkt

mfb

Staff: Mentor

Vanadium 50

Vanadium 50

Andy SV

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