Loading a Ceramic or Iron Cast lap with diamond powder or spray. [photo]

[Willem Parel]

The stuff I've got is the leftover sludge from the diamond cutters, then dryed to powder.
So i assume this is real diamond, the same where they grind the diamonds with.
Here in the Netherlands and also in Belgium they call it boort.

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

The powder does polish diamond. Why wouldn't it polish carbide or any other metal?

The GRS diamond spray contains 1 carat diamond powder, that same diamond powder diamond lapidary use for diamond lapidary.
The grit could be different, but also GRS offers different colors for different grit.

And sure it doesn't matter if they make the powder out of loup clean 1 carat D color diamonds or less quality diamonds. Even synthetic is real diamond. Only important when used as precious stones as they aren't natural stones.

Arnaud

 

[Sam]

I guess I incorrectly assumed that synthetic diamond wouldn't polish carbide. I obviously don't know much about diamond or synthetic diamond abrasives. My only concern is if it polishes carbide. If it does then I'll be happy

 

[Brian Marshall]

Yes, synthetic diamond grits will polish carbide and will polish other diamonds...

I think that the confusion here is in the word - synthetic.

A synthetic in the lapidary world is a chemical/crystaline duplicate - only it is man made.



A "simulant" on the other hand, can be ANYTHING that looks like the stone it is simulating...

Cubic Zirconia, for example - is a common diamond simulant. As is "white" corundum, YAG, GGG, Spinel, and quartz...

None of the above simulants is as hard as the diamond it can be made to look like.



Brian

 

[Gemsetterchris]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_diamond

"The properties of synthetic diamond depend on the details of the manufacturing processes; however, some synthetic diamonds (whether formed by HPHT or CVD) have properties such as hardness, thermal conductivity and electron mobility that are superior to those of most naturally-formed diamonds.

Synthetic diamond is widely used in abrasives, in cutting and polishing tools and in heat ......"

Thanks for that, I learnt something new.