Ib Myp Year 10 Macromolecules Essay

Diamond Essay

Sarah N, 10.1 The substance diamond is an allotrope (an element’s atoms bonded in a certain way) of carbon. Diamonds are arranged in a repeating lattice of eight carbon atoms bonded in a

cubic structure at equal distances to each other. Due to the amount of covalent bonds involved, diamonds require high amounts of energy to break apart and are therefore hard and have a high melting point. Diamonds are used in jewelry and for industrial purposes, such as in blades.

As the hardest naturally occurring material currently known, diamond dust (the residue from cutting rough diamonds) is fixed into cutting tools such as saws or scalpels. These tools are used in optical surgery, microscopic biology, and also in architecture. Diamond knives/saws can cut through other hard materials with precision and can withstand repeated use if maintained properly. Compared to cutting tools of other materials, diamonds lose their cutting edges at a slower rate.

Before the invention of diamond knives, metal blades were used in the aforementioned areas. However, Durham and Luntz (1968) found that “the diamond knife makes a perfect, bevelled incision, and the life of the edge is almost indefinite if it is handled with care” (p. 207), something that stainless steel blades, which were in widespread use at the time, were unable to achieve. Diamond knives have gradually replaced other materials in these areas as it is more effective in its purpose.

The use of diamond knives in optical surgery has positive impacts on society. As mentioned previously, diamond knives can create a round incision “not possible with a steel

knife” (Durham & Luntz, 1968). This incision allows the eye to heal to a normal shape at a faster rate. These benefits allow the patients to live more convenient lives as they can fix ocular defects (such as nearsightedness and astigmatism) with surgery that has become more convenient due to better cutting tools.

However, the mining of diamond is negatively...