Impact diamonds, formed by a meteorite impact 35 million years ago, may be more effective than industrial synthetic diamonds in the production of cutting and grinding tools. Antonina Levashenko, head of the Gaidar Institute laboratory, told RIA Novosti that the world's largest deposit of such crystals is located in the Popigai crater in Siberia. Unlike kimberlite diamonds, these stones are opaque, have defects, but possess unique abrasiveness and heat resistance.
RAS research from 2019–2026 confirmed: composites and micropowders based on impact diamonds demonstrate 3–6 times higher wear resistance than analogues and withstand extreme temperatures. In practice, this means that tools made from such material wear less when cutting concrete, grind surfaces better, and last longer when drilling deep wells.
Products based on them are considered a targeted replacement for Chinese synthetics in high-tech industries – from electronics and rocket science to nuclear energy and medicine.
In fact, the Popigai deposit is becoming a strategic reserve of superhard materials, capable of ensuring instrumental independence in critical sectors.
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