SCIENCE TIPS FROM THE UAB OFFICE OF MEDIA RELATIONS SEPTEMBER 9, 1999
Super Diamonds
Their aesthetic qualities make diamonds a girl's best friend, and their durability makes them last forever, but their strength under pressure makes them ideal for building superconducting metals and protecting astronauts from the rigors of space. UAB physics professor Yogesh Vohra, Ph.D. and graduate student assistants are growing large carat single crystal diamonds, then using them to apply super-intense pressure to certain metals, attempting to enhance the metals' abilities to conduct electrical current. The process works the way pressure in the earth transforms graphite into diamonds. If the metals become superconductors, they will be able to conduct electricity without losing energy, which has enormous potential in industry. Vohra's synthetic diamonds may also be used one day as windows in spacecraft.
Call Vohra at (205) 934-6662.
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