Beijing, July 31 -- Chinese researchers have succeeded in synthesising the hundred-micron-scale hexagonal diamond, a material primarily found in meteorites, which is harder than the ordinary diamond found on Earth.
The study, published in the journal Nature yesterday, promises to redefine the limits of superhard materials, according to the researchers.
The Earth diamond owes its reputation as the king of hardness to its carbon atoms arranged in a tetrahedral lattice, making it extremely hard and wear-resistant.
However, this structure has a weakness - certain planes can easily slip and shift when force is applied, thereby limiting its strength.
As a consequence, scientists have turned their attention to another type of super...