LABORATORY OF SUPERHARD SYNTHETIC MATERIALS

The principal task of the laboratory is development of superhard materials on the basis of diamond and dense boron nitride phases, development of experimental technologies, and investigation of properties of synthetic materials.

Principal lines of investigations:

• Development of superhard ceramics and metal ceramics on the basis of diamond and dense boron nitride, including two-layered materials.
• Development of nanocomposite materials on the basis of diamond.
• Study of influence of B, Al, H additions on the spontaneous crystallization of diamonds in the metal-carbon systems and their properties.
• Study of the chemical reactions with free carbon under high pressure conditions;

Basic equipment

• A press apparatus (force 500 tons, 2000 tons, 10000 tons) equipped with a "lens", "toroid", and "double toroid" -type high pressure chambers, which have the hole diameter from 1.5 to 5.0 cm.

Most important results:

• The methods for synthesizing boron nitride polycrystals on the basis of wurtzite and sphalerite modifications have been developed.
• The method for synthesizing polycrystalline diamond with a predetermined configuration has been developed.
• Monocrystals of diamond and of the cubic boron nitride phase with p- and n-types conductivity have been synthesized and their properties investigated.
• A high pressure "lens" chamber (working volume 60 cm³) has been developed.