Scientists Turn Tequila into Diamonds

November 8, 2008 at 1:20 pm | Posted in Lifescape | 1 Comment

Whoever thought that science was a dry subject might change their mind after learning about a new discovery in which tequila is turned into diamonds. A team of Mexican scientists found that the heated vapor from 80-proof (40% alcohol) tequila blanco, when deposited on a silicon or stainless steel substrate, can form diamond films.

clipped from phunkyou.com Tequila into Diamonds Scientists Turn Tequila into Diamonds A team of Mexican scientists found that the heated vapor from 80-proof (40% alcohol) tequila blanco, when deposited on a silicon or stainless steel substrate, can form diamond films. The key to the surprising discovery is tequila’s ratio of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, which lies within the “diamond growth region.” The resulting diamond films could have inexpensive commercial applications as electrical insulators, say researchers Javier Morales, Luis Miguel Ap�tiga, and V�ctor Manuel Casta�o from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Morales is also with Nuevo Le�n�s Autonomous University).