Turning tequila into diamonds
Tequila doesn’t just produce hangovers any more. Under the right conditions, the alcohol can be turned into diamonds. Researchers at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, experimenting with making thin films of diamond from organic solutions, decided to conduct their tests using a “ pocket-size bottle of cheap white tequila.” They heated the tequila to ...
Tequila doesn't just produce hangovers any more. Under the right conditions, the alcohol can be turned into diamonds.
Tequila doesn’t just produce hangovers any more. Under the right conditions, the alcohol can be turned into diamonds.
Researchers at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, experimenting with making thin films of diamond from organic solutions, decided to conduct their tests using a “
pocket-size bottle of cheap white tequila.” They heated the tequila to 1,470ºF, breaking down its molecular structure. The resulting carbon film, upon close examination, had formed into an almost perfect diamond structure. Tequila’s mix of 40 percent ethanol and 60 percent water is the reason it serves as the perfect compound for creating synthetic diamonds.
The diamond film, while not useful in jewelry, could be used to coat cutting tools and perhaps most profitably as a substitute for silicon in computer chips. The researchers hope to begin mass-producing the synthetic diamond film by 2011. The advance could be a boon to both tequila manufacturers and Mexico’s agave farmers, who would benefit from the increased demand for tequila. Watch out, Botswana!
Chris Hondros/Newsmakers
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