A Machine that Melts Diamonds

Diamonds are used in many different industries and capacities due to their hardness and versatility. Now what if you found out that there’s a machine that melts diamonds like ice? The Z Machine in Sandia National Laboratories is doing just that. This machine is mostly intended to help with research on nuclear fusion technology, so the diamond melting thing is more of a fun side effect.

The exact amount of pressure that this machine put off in order to liquefy diamond was 5 million times higher than the atmospheric pressure. It does this by using an electromagnetic field that is created by vaporizing tungsten wires with a high current of 20 million amps. The total electrical output that this machine can generate is 290 tera watts, a necessary amount to fuel its primary research subject. This field spreads over the Z-axis, which is the reason why this field is powerful enough to melt diamonds. This machine also happens to be known as the largest X-ray generator in the world, giving it even more useful applications in a variety of industries. It also sets the record for the highest temperature generated by man, at 3.6 billion degrees.

Tiffany G for Raymond Lee Jewelers, premiere fine jewelry and luxury watch boutique and buyer.