Nitrogen 'Diamond' Created

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Posted by michael on Tuesday October 12, 2004 @06:12AM from the squish dept.

Sensible Clod writes "Researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry have synthesized a new form of nitrogen, with a stucture like that of diamond. This was accomplished by means of a crushing force (>110 GPa) at extremely high temperature (2000 K), of course. The result, according to PhysOrg, is a very hard crystal with a lot of energy stored in it, which leads to the possibility of using it as a non-polluting fuel or high-explosive."

12 of 73 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Properties? by justanyone · 2004-10-12 06:19 · Score: 5, Insightful

Several Questions:
1. Translucent?
2. Melting point?
3. Stable at STP ?
4. Does It Burn if I touch a match to it? Explode?
5. Does it resemble N2, which is stable, or not?
6. What is the hardness level (Mohr's scale) ?
7. Will it degrade over time under exposure to water?
8. Is the method for creating it highly expensive or could this be scaled up?
9. If it is explosive, how do we store it safely?
10. What are the mechanical properties? If it's stable and otherwise useful, will it vibrate with a piezoelectric effect?
11. Is it a semiconductor, conductor, or insulator?
12. Does it lase (can we use it as a pump medium for a laser) ?

--
Unitarian Church: Freethinkers Congregate!
1. Re:Properties? by the+morgawr · 2004-10-12 06:23 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  From reading the article, it doesn't sound like they've gotten the material to stay that way at room temperature and pressure yet, so measuring much that stuff would be difficult.
  
  --
  The policy of the United States is worse than bad---it is insane. -- Ludwig von Mises, Economic Policy(1959)
2. Re:Properties? by Kozar_The_Malignant · 2004-10-12 07:02 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  From the article:
  "First of all, we should try to recover the compound to ambient temperature and pressure", Eremets says.
  
  Translation: "It spontaneously goes poof (or kaboom) when we release the pressure in the machine."
  
  --
  Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
3. Re:Properties? by Shadow+Wrought · 2004-10-12 07:27 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Just mod the answers down now. It'll be easier for all conerned...
  Several Questions: 1. Translucent?
  No but it is transqwest.
  2. Melting point??
  Typically comes after an expensive dinner and a little champagne.
  3. Stable at STP ??
  No but it does keep horses in the Quaker State.
  4. Does It Burn if I touch a match to it? Explode??
  Only when the match is lit.
  5. Does it resemble N2, which is stable, or not??
  It more closely resembles Not, stability notwithstanding.
  6. What is the hardness level (Mohr's scale) ??
  It rates a 2.7 on the Less is Mohr scale.
  7. Will it degrade over time under exposure to water??
  Sort of. It gets these prune like wrinkles in its outer fringes...
  8. Is the method for creating it highly expensive or could this be scaled up??
  Cheaper than antimatter, but more expensive than pirated CD's.
  9. If it is explosive, how do we store it safely??
  We'll figure that out once we have them produced in order to build on the success of our nuclear storage program.
  10. What are the mechanical properties? If it's stable and otherwise useful, will it vibrate with a piezoelectric effect??
  As for the former, it owns two car repair joints over on the East Side, as to the latter, uhhhhh, sure.
  11. Is it a semiconductor, conductor, or insulator??
  It has a part time gig with the Philharmonic, so it is a semi-conductor.
  12. Does it lase (can we use it as a pump medium for a laser) ?
  It lazes very well, especially on Sundays during football season.
  
  --
  If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
Or better yet... by El · 2004-10-12 06:20 · Score: 4, Funny

"Here honey, but this diamond ring on and then go punch that wall..."

--
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
But the trick is always... by Banner · 2004-10-12 06:20 · Score: 4, Insightful

Getting the energy out in a controllable stream, not all at once. It's not the storage of energy that is ever the issue: Capacitors and high-explosives store lots. It's just getting it out the way you want it that is the trick.
1. Re:But the trick is always... by Ayaress · 2004-10-12 07:06 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  I guess that's why they listed high explosive among the uses. Even if you can't control the blast whatsoever, if it blows up, you can find a use for it.
Fuel? Baah. by arkham6 · 2004-10-12 06:24 · Score: 5, Funny

A fuel? How much less energy do you get out from it than was put into it? It seems like a very difficult way of wasting energy.
Reminds me of... by reverseengineer · 2004-10-12 06:39 · Score: 5, Interesting

This seems somewhat like a what a polymerized azide ((N3)- ion)compound would be like, perhaps with many similar properties- I can see the uses as a high explosive, as sodium azide is generally the explosive in airbags- a couple grams of the salt is sufficient to generate over 50L of nitrogen gas quite rapidly. The rearrangement of this network solid into triple-bonded gas molecules should release an enormous amount of energy. I wonder if this is nearly as sensitive to shock as the azides are though.

--
"FDA staff reviewers expressed concern about the number of patients who were left out of the study because they died."
1. Re:Reminds me of... by cryptochrome · 2004-10-12 07:11 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Well there is also the slight problem with the fact that azides are EXTREEEEMLY nasty. Here's the short warning:
  
  Sodium azide is extremely toxic (LD50 oral [rat] 27mg/kg) and a powerful poison. Ingesting very small amounts can cause death in a short period of time. When mixed with water or an acid, sodium azide changes rapidly to a toxic gas with a pungent odor. However, the odor may not be sharp enough to give people sufficient warning as to the hazard. When heated to its decomposition temperature of ~275C, sodium azide may undergo violent decomposition. Additional hazards: Sodium azide also changes into a toxic gas when it comes in contact with solid metals. Sodium azide reacts violently with nitric acid, bromine, carbon disulfide, dimethylsulfate, and several heavy metals including copper and lead. Never flush sodium azide (solid or concentrated solution) down the drain -- the azide can react with lead or copper in the drain lines and explode. Do not store on metal shelves or use metal items to handle sodium azide (i.e., spatulas). Contact with metal shelves, containers, and utensils can result in formation of heavy metal azides and the risk of explosion.
  
  Most of these issues stem from the fact that azide packs a very large amount of energy in a very reactive compound. I would imagine nitrodiamond dust could have issues as well. Although a state change between the solid and gas forms would produce no pollution, it could potentially be reactive with other compounds, like oxygen and carbon dioxide.
  
  --
  ---If you can't trust a nerd, who can you trust?
Do Not Taunt! by justanyone · 2004-10-12 07:35 · Score: 4, Funny

Do Not Taunt Super-Happy-Fun-sodiumazide.

--
Unitarian Church: Freethinkers Congregate!
Re:fuel, my ass! by j_cavera · 2004-10-12 07:39 · Score: 4, Informative

Fuel as in energy storage, not energy generation. Fossil fuels give net energy (but not by much) because they naturally exist in an unstable state. Nitrogen naturally occurs in its most stable state, so no net energy by burning N2. But put it into polymeric form and you have a strained lattice storing tons of energy, read: rocket fuel. As a comparison:

2 H2 + 02 -> 2 H20 12.6 MJ/kg
N4 -> 2 N2 60 MJ/kg (est.)

Other, even higher energy (non-nuclear) fuels include:

Metallic Hydrogen: 2 H(s) -> H2(g) 138 MJ/kg
Free-Radical Hydrogen: H + H -> H2 104 MJ/kg
Metastable Helium: He* -> He 480 MJ/kg
Ionic Hydrogen: H(+) + H(-) -> H2 835 MJ/kg

As much fun as you can have without going nuclear...

--
#include "humorous_pop_culture_reference.h"