Mechanical

The strength of the carbon to carbon bond is the source of the exceptional mechanical properties of diamond. Dislocation of the atoms is difficult and consequently diamond is the hardest known substance.

Diamond has been recognised as being a unique material for several centuries, mainly because of its unsurpassed hardness and its unrivalled resistance against abrasion. In more recent years, this has led to the growth of diamond as a raw material for the manufacture of cutting tools for different materials such as non-ferrous metals, natural stone and concrete, wood based materials, plastics, glass and ceramics.

The modern industrial diamond business began to expand following the commercial availability of diamond produced with high pressure, high temperature synthesis in the late 1950s.

The increased use of diamond in a wide range of applications, has not only advanced individual technologies, but in turn created a large variety of different diamond materials. These materials can range from synthetic single crystals, polycrystalline diamond discs and, through vapour deposition techniques, CVD diamond types for mechanical applications.