INDUSTRIAL DIAMOND

Production, recycling and uses During 2023, world production of natural and synthetic industrial diamond was estimated to be 15.5 billion carats, the vast majority of which was synthetic. Natural diamond resources have been identified in more than 35 countries. Natural industrial diamond was produced in at least 11 countries as a byproduct of mining gem-quality diamond, and an estimated 45 million carats were produced in 2023, essentially unchanged from the previous year. The leading five producing countries of natural industrial diamond, in descending quantity order, were Russia, Congo (Kinshasa), Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, accounting for 97 percent of global production. At least 15 countries have the technology to produce synthetic diamond, and synthetic industrial diamond was produced in eight countries during 2023. About 99 percent of the combined natural and synthetic global output was produced in China, Ireland, Russia, South Africa and the United States. During 2023, China was the world’s leading producer of synthetic industrial diamond followed by the United States and Russia. In 2023, the two U.S. synthetic producers, one in Pennsylvania and another with facilities in Florida and Ohio, produced an estimated 150 million carats, valued at about $48 million. This production was entirely synthetic diamond bort, dust and powder, and grit. Also, in 2023, at least four U.S. firms manufactured polycrystalline diamond (PCD) from synthetic diamond dust and powder and grit. Data are not available for either domestic PCD producers or domestic chemical-vapor-deposition (CVD) diamond producers for quantity or value of annual production. Current trade and consumption quantity data are not available for PCD or for CVD diamond. Consequently, PCD and CVD diamond are not included in the industrial diamond quantitative data reported here. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated a total of 14 million carats of used industrial diamond, valued at about $640,000, was recycled in the United States during 2023. Of this total, an estimated 75,000 carats were recycled diamond stone with a value of $110,000 and the remainder was diamond bort, dust and powder, and grit. Diamond stone recycling operations have reduced in scale and number, owing to the lower price of newly produced synthetic industrial diamonds. Most of this recycled material was recovered from used drill bits, diamond tools and other diamond-containing wastes. Some diamond also was recovered from residues generated in the manufacture of PCD. During the past 40 years, CVD diamond use has grown and has been increasingly accepted by multiple industries as an enhanced material of choice owing to its properties of exceptional strength, hardness, durability, stiffness, high thermal conductivity, chemical inertness and electrical isolation. Use of the CVD process facilitates depositing a layer of diamond with these properties on the surface of a tool. Initially, the CVD process was mostly used for growing thinand thick-film PCD for cutting tools and dressing applications because of the mechanical properties of diamond. More recent applications that take advantage of CVD diamond’s mechanical properties include wear parts, such as watch gears and chemical-mechanical polishing pad conditioners. Diamond has tremendous potential for electronics applications because of its high thermal conductivity. It can significantly improve thermal management while remaining highly cost competitive with other materials. CVD diamond is used in microelectronic components, such as highspeed processors, medical devices, wide-bandgap radio-frequency devices, power conversion devices, and optoelectronic devices (light-emitting diodes, laser diodes) that generate exceptionally high heat densities requiring innovative approaches to thermal management. Diamond coatings are increasingly being used in these applications because the thermal conductivity of diamond is 10 times that of silicon. Boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes for water treatment are attracting significant interest because of diamond’s potential as an environmentally friendly, high-performance electrode material. BDD electrodes have many characteristics that make them ideal for eliminating organic contaminants from water. In the past, diamond has been perceived as an expensive material, but advances in CVD diamond manufacturing, such as the development of microwave carbon plasma technology and the development of higher-throughput hot-filament CVD diamond reactors, have significantly reduced diamond costs and allowed for the use of CVD diamond for an increasing number of applications. In addition to the existing opportunities for synthetic diamond use as gemstones, research and development projects by several companies that use single-crystal CVD diamond materials in high-voltage power switches, lasers, quantum communications and computing, and water treatment and purification have been ongoing. Research also was being done on the use of industrial diamond in medical applications such as bionic eye implants, bioimaging, biomarking, cancer treatments and surgical tools; in dental applications such as cavity treatments; in cosmetic applications such as beauty treatments, facial exfoliation and wrinkle treatments; in glass shaping and window production; in military uses; in sound speakers; in super lasers; and in many other applications. Consumption The United States remained one of the world’s leading consumers of industrial diamond in 2023. Estimated U.S. apparent consumption of natural and synthetic industrial diamond bort, dust and powder, grit and stones was 370 million carats, valued at $56 million. Industrial diamond is used for applications such as truing and dressing grinding wheels, production of fine wire, waterjet nozzles for material cutting, direct precision cutting and material processing, material testing, drilling, grinding, polishing and finishing materials. The major consuming sectors of industrial diamond are computer chip production; construction; drilling for minerals, natural gas and oil; machinery manufacturing; stone cutting and polishing; and transportation (infrastructure and vehicles). Highway building, milling, and repair and stone cutting consumed most of the industrial diamond stone. During 2023, more than 97 percent of the industrial diamond market used synthetic industrial diamonds because the diamond quality can be controlled, and properties can be customized to fit specific requirements. Prices Both natural and synthetic industrial diamonds had prices with a range of values depending on their crystallinity, purity, shape, size, and in the case of synthetic, the absence or presence of metal coatings. During 2023, the average unit value for diamond bort, dust and powder, and grit material produced in the United States was $0.32/carat. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. imports of all types of industrial diamond had an average unit value of $0.18/carat in 2023. These imports were a combination of natural and synthetic diamond stone that had an average unit value of $14.19/carat and natural and synthetic diamond bort, dust and powder, and grit that had an average unit value of $0.16/carat. Foreign trade During 2023, the United States led the world in industrial diamond trade. Trade data in this report are from the U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. imports of industrialquality diamond stones (natural and synthetic) were 378,000 carats valued at $5.36 million from 12 countries or localities. U.S. imports of industrial-quality diamond dust, grit and powder (natural and synthetic) were 263 million carats valued at $41.9 million from 30 countries or localities. During 2023, U.S. exports of industrial diamond dust, grit and powder (natural and synthetic) were about 74 million carats valued at $43.3 million to 36 countries or localities. Outlook China is expected to remain the world’s leading producer of synthetic industrial diamond. The United States is expected to continue to be one of the world’s leading consumers of industrial diamond into the next decade and likely will remain a significant producer and exporter of synthetic industrial diamond as well. Demand for synthetic diamond grit and powder is expected to remain greater than for natural diamond material. Constant-dollar prices of synthetic diamond products, including CVD diamond films, are expected to continue to decline as production technology becomes more cost effective; the decline is even more likely if competition from low-cost producers in China and Russia continues to increase. Several of the world’s largest diamond mines have matured, passed their peak production levels and closed in recent years, causing a decline in global output during the last two years, and additional mines are approaching the ends of their mine lives. As these mines are depleted, global production is expected to continue to decline further in quantity, and the global supply of rough natural diamond is forecasted to steadily decrease. Reference U.S. Geological Survey, 2024, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024—Diamond (Industrial): U.S. Geological Survey, p. 66–67

INDUSTRIAL DIAMOND

Authored by:
Donald W. Olson

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To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

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