Our Technology
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What are Nanodiamonds?
Nanodiamonds (ND) - also called ultra-dispersed diamonds (UDD) - are diamond phase carbon nanomaterials. Nanodiamonds have all of the positive properties of larger gemstone diamonds. They are as stable, transparent, and durable as gemstone diamonds and, like them, exhibit the highest hardness, thermal and acoustic conductivity.
Nanodiamonds, due to their ultra small size, also exhibit unique properties which make them even more useful. These properties are included in the General Properties list below.
The main types of commercial NDs produced are categorized as high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) nanodiamonds, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) nanodiamonds and detonation nanodiamonds (DND).
NanoMPI specializes in the manufacturing, refining, modification of detonation nanodiamonds for commercial and industrial use.
GENERAL PROPERTIES OF NANODIAMONDS:
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Diamond core: highest hardness (167 Gpa) and wear resistance
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Highest thermal conductivity (2300 W/mK)
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High electrical resistivity (10 cm)
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Low thermal expansion (1.010-6 K-1)
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Wide band gap (5.47 eV {300 K})
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High refractive index (2.417)
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Low specific gravity (3.52)
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Surface functional groups that are oxygen rich and support catalytic activity
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Surface electrical charge of -30 to -70 mV
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Chemical/radiation resistance
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Biocompatibility
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Large surface area (250- 450 m/g)
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High & controllable chemical activity of the surface.
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Anti-bacterial
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Nontoxic
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Hydrophillic
Creating Detonation Synthesis Nanodiamonds
The basic idea of creating the technology for production of nanodiamonds was based on fundamental research of Soviet military science and resulted from experiments with explosive substances. Based on these experiments Soviet military science learned to make ultra dispersed diamonds. The size of these nanodiamond crystals is one thousand times smaller than other synthetic diamonds. This is fundamentally a new class of materials with unique and commercially valuable characteristics.
The production technology employs “detonation synthesis” to create diamond particles with average sizes of 4-6 nm (nanometers) each. The detonation synthesis technology employs charges of explosive substances which are detonated in high strength, hermetically sealed chambers. Diamond particles are formed from the free carbon of the molecules of the explosives at temperatures of approximately 3,500 degrees Celsius and at pressures of approximately 200,000 atmospheres.
Our proprietary refinement process further modifies the results of the detonation synthesis stage into various grades of nanodiamonds that meet technical requirements for various applications.
Our detonation products (diamond blend – “DB”) contain, on average, 40 – 50% nanodiamond crystals which are subjected to a chemical purification process. Our 9th generation of this unique refinement process distinguishes our products from known competitors by providing a variety of optimal “grades”, achieving the highest purity within the constraints of a scalable production process, and often reducing the quantity of DND required to achieve a given result. Our highest grade material is government certified as food-grade and contains no detectable impurities.
Why Our Nanodiamonds?
We offer a variety of optimal "grades" of detonation nanodiamonds.
We achieve the highest purity within the constraints of a scalable production process.
We are often able to reduce the quantity of detonation nanodiamonds required to achieve a given result.
Our highest grade material is government certified as food-grade and contains no detectable impurities.
Current Applications of Our Detonation Nanodiamonds
Detonation nanodiamonds were initially used for nanoscale polishing and as lubricant additives for industrial applications. Today, detonation nanodiamonds can also be found in coatings, polishes, lubricants, and polymers. They can also be used for thermal management, as catalysts, and even in bio-medical applications including therapeutics.
NanoMPI utilizes our detonation nanodiamonds to help resolve common and unique challenges for a wide variety of appplications and industries.
Please click an image below to learn more about our off-the-shelf solutions.
Do you have a unique challenge that requires a custom solution? We are all ears and ready to help! But first check out our nanodiamond suspension products to learn more about our customization capabilities. Then shoot us an email to schedule a free initial consultation using our Request a Quote form!