A while back I posted a few electron micrographs of a small #2-56 machine screw. Since then I’ve taken well over a thousand more images, most of which I can’t show you just yet. However, there are a couple of things I can share with all of you, such as these images of high quality diamond particles.
What makes them high quality particles? If you notice, the facets are well defined and relatively smooth, and all of the edges are nice and sharp. Later today I will separately post images of “economy grade” diamond particles.
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Diamond particles are typically used in cutting tools and as abrasives for sharpening and polishing operations. These particles are quite large, so they are probably best suited for use in cutting tools and coarse grinding applications.
The white streaks are imaging artifacts due to unavoidable electron charging effects.
For reference, 100 µm, or one hundred microns, is equal to 0.004 inches, or about 1/250th of an inch. 1 µm is about 1/25,000 of an inch. A red blood cell is about 6-8µm wide and an average human hair 100µm.
Joe 'the Pro' Sainz says
That is so cool. I need to play with one of those some day!
Michelle says
These photos are really amazing. If possible, I would like to purchase a high-quality copy of the first image in this post to use as artwork in my office (I am a jeweler specializing in diamond engagement rings). Is there someone I should contact to get a copy? Thanks for this awesome post!