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Is it possible to dissolve diamonds with water?

  1. Apr 2, 2017 #1

    pkt

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    Is it possible to dissolve diamonds with water?
     
    pkt, Apr 2, 2017
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  3. Apr 2, 2017 #2

    alan2

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    No.
     
    alan2, Apr 2, 2017
  4. Apr 2, 2017 #3

    mfb

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    Do you see any reason to expect that?

    No. At least not in any relevant amount.
     
    mfb, Apr 2, 2017
  5. Apr 2, 2017 #4

    pkt

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    pkt, Apr 2, 2017
  6. Apr 2, 2017 #5

    jedishrfu

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    @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.
     
    jedishrfu, Apr 2, 2017
  7. Apr 2, 2017 #6

    mfb

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    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.
     
    mfb, Apr 2, 2017
  8. Apr 2, 2017 #7

    alan2

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    alan2, Apr 2, 2017
  9. Apr 2, 2017 #8

    ZapperZ

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    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.
     
    ZapperZ, Apr 2, 2017
  10. Apr 2, 2017 #9

    nuuskur

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    Smells like a philosopher's spirit. AFAIK, this community is not about that life.
     
    nuuskur, Apr 2, 2017
  11. Apr 2, 2017 #10

    pkt

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    [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.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 2, 2017
    pkt, Apr 2, 2017
  12. Apr 2, 2017 #11

    mfb

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    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.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 2, 2017
    mfb, Apr 2, 2017
  13. Apr 2, 2017 #12

    Vanadium 50

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    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.

    Again, when you get to the bottom of a hole, it's best to stop digging.
     
    Vanadium 50, Apr 2, 2017
  14. Apr 2, 2017 #13

    Vanadium 50

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    Or a laser. Does that mean carbon dissolves in light?
     
    Vanadium 50, Apr 2, 2017
  15. Apr 2, 2017 #14

    Andy SV

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    Any form of erosion will etch
    But the process of abrasion with a non solvent will only form a suspension not a solution
     
    Andy SV, Apr 2, 2017
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