Shock consolidation of diamond and graphite mixtures to fused polycrystalline diamond

Abstract

The production of fused compacts of polycrystalline diamond was achieved by subjecting porous (35%–49% porosity) mixtures of diamond crystals plus graphite (13–16 wt. %) to dynamic shock pressures of 10–18 GPa. The recovered material from an initial mixture of 4–8-μm diamond crystals plus graphite revealed a very homogeneous texture with little evidence of original grain boundaries. The preconsolidation addition of graphite also allowed ultrafine (<5 μm) diamond crystals to be consolidated; this was not previously possible with the use of diamond crystals alone. The results are consistent with calculations which suggest that a thin layer of graphite surrounding a diamond crystal delays thermal equilibrium between the surface and interior of the diamond crystal, thus allowing greater surface heating. Consolidation is also probably enhanced by conversion of graphite to diamond, possibly via the liquid state.