Summary in English. / Bibliography: pages 102-118. / Synthetic diamonds are successfully substituting for natural diamonds in the area of industrial application. Synthetic diamonds increased their market share from 10% in 1960 to 50% in 1968 and to 90% in 1994. The success of synthetic diamonds may be ascribed largely to technological advance in the area of diamond manufacture. Two technologies in particular contributed to this advance: (i) High pressure and high temperature (HPHT) processes for crystallising carbon material and (ii) chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of these materials. The substitution of synthetic for natural diamond occurred in a systematic and predictable manner. Further technological advance could threaten the concept of diamond as a unique and desirable substance in the minds of the consumers and may require the repositioning of its image.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uct/oai:localhost:11427/17170 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Japp, Stephen Glen |
| Contributors | Van Wyk, Rias J |
| Publisher | University of Cape Town, Faculty of Commerce, GSB: Faculty |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Doctoral Thesis, Doctoral, PhD |
| Format | application/pdf |
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