{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/87284"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/87284","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Testing of Burton's method to synthesize diamonds","abstract":"A method was investigated to synthesize diamonds at atmospheric pressure without the use of diamond seed crystals. The method was first proposed by Burton in 1905 and appears to have been lost in the literature. The procedure is based on Ostwald's principle of the formation of metastable, intermediate crystals en route to a more-stable final product. Carbon was dissolved in a lead-calcium alloy and was later precipitated out of the melt by the removal of calcium with steam. The calcium was used to increase the solubility of carbon in lead. Reaction temperatures between 775 K and 1025 K were used. The resulting precipitate, analyzed by both chemical and physical means, was found to be well-crystallized graphite. No diamond formation was found to occur.","abstract_html":"A method was investigated to synthesize diamonds at atmospheric pressure without the use of diamond seed crystals. The method was first proposed by Burton in 1905 and appears to have been lost in the literature. The procedure is based on Ostwald's principle of the formation of metastable, intermediate crystals en route to a more-stable final product. Carbon was dissolved in a lead-calcium alloy and was later precipitated out of the melt by the removal of calcium with steam. The calcium was used to increase the solubility of carbon in lead. Reaction temperatures between 775 K and 1025 K were used. The resulting precipitate, analyzed by both chemical and physical means, was found to be well-crystallized graphite. No diamond formation was found to occur.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Sugarman, Neal A."],"institution":"Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Chemical Engineering","degree_department":"Chemical Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1984,"date_issued":"1984","date_published":"1984","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:05Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en_US"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/87284","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Chemical Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Sugarman, Neal A."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2019-01-31T18:55:57Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-01-31T18:55:57Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1984"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Chemical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_US"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/87284"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["A method was investigated to synthesize diamonds at atmospheric pressure without the use of diamond seed crystals. The method was first proposed by Burton in 1905 and appears to have been lost in the literature. The procedure is based on Ostwald's principle of the formation of metastable, intermediate crystals en route to a more-stable final product. Carbon was dissolved in a lead-calcium alloy and was later precipitated out of the melt by the removal of calcium with steam. The calcium was used to increase the solubility of carbon in lead. Reaction temperatures between 775 K and 1025 K were used. The resulting precipitate, analyzed by both chemical and physical means, was found to be well-crystallized graphite. No diamond formation was found to occur."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Testing of Burton's method to synthesize diamonds"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.department":["Chemical Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Sugarman, Neal A."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2019-01-31T18:55:57Z"],"dc:date.available":["2019-01-31T18:55:57Z"],"dc:date.issued":["1984"],"dc:description.abstract":["A method was investigated to synthesize diamonds at atmospheric pressure without the use of diamond seed crystals. The method was first proposed by Burton in 1905 and appears to have been lost in the literature. The procedure is based on Ostwald's principle of the formation of metastable, intermediate crystals en route to a more-stable final product. Carbon was dissolved in a lead-calcium alloy and was later precipitated out of the melt by the removal of calcium with steam. The calcium was used to increase the solubility of carbon in lead. Reaction temperatures between 775 K and 1025 K were used. The resulting precipitate, analyzed by both chemical and physical means, was found to be well-crystallized graphite. No diamond formation was found to occur."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/87284"],"dc:language.iso":["en_US"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:title":["Testing of Burton's method to synthesize diamonds"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Chemical Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:05Z"}