Can a Hydraulic Press Break a Diamond? Exploring Material Limits
Diamonds sit at the top of the Mohs hardness scale, which naturally leads people to wonder what happens when you pit one against a hydraulic press capable of generating enormous crushing force. The answer involves more nuance than you might expect. A diamond's legendary hardness protects it from scratching, but hardness and resistance to crushing are different properties entirely. The outcome depends on how force is applied, where it contacts the stone, and whether the press can exploit the diamond's hidden structural weaknesses. Why Diamond Hardness Does Not Equal Indestructibility Diamond owes its extreme hardness to carbon atoms arranged in...
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