Gem quality diamond synthesis from alternative carbon sources

Abstract

Methods for converting purified carbon derived from alternative carbon sources and in the form of a compressed pellet or loose powder into a hydrocarbon gas, and methods to convert carbon dioxide derived from alternative carbon sources into a hydrocarbon gas. The hydrocarbon gas is used to grow gem quality diamond using a CVD technique.

Description

[0001] GEM QUALITY DIAMOND SYNTHESIS FROM ALTERNATIVE CARBON SOURCES

[0002] RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 652,233, entitled GEM QUALITY DIAMOND SYNTHESIS FROM ALTERNATIVE CARBON SOURCES, filed May 28, 2024, and India Provisional Patent Application No. 202441041634, entitled GEM QUALITY DIAMOND SYNTHESIS FROM ALTERNATIVE CARBON SOURCES, filed May 29, 2024, said applications being hereby fully incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.

[0004] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0005] The invention relates to synthesis of lab-grown diamonds, and more particularly, methods for making gem quality lab grown diamond out of carbon extracted from cremains of species of the Kingdom Animalia and from any other carbon extracted out of materials of organic origin and from carbon containing gaseous materials derived from other substances of solid, liquid or gaseous origin.

[0006] BACKGROUND

[0007] Lab-grown diamond (LGD) is diamond that is produced in controlled technological processes (in contrast to naturally formed diamond, which is created through geological processes and obtained by mining). Unlike diamond simulants (imitations of diamond made of superficially similar non-diamond materials), synthetic diamonds are composed of the same material as naturally formed diamonds — pure carbon crystallized in an isotropic 3D form — and share identical chemical and physical properties. In the 1940s, systematic research of diamond creation began in the United States, Sweden, and the Soviet Union, which culminated in the first reproducible synthesis in 1953. Further research activity yielded the discoveries of high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes of synthesizing diamond. These two processes still dominate synthetic diamond production. Both CVD and HPHT diamonds can be cut into gems and various colors can be produced (e.g., clear white, yellow, brown, blue, green and orange). The advent of synthetic gems on the market has created major concerns in the diamond trading business, as a result of which special spectroscopic devices and techniques have been developed to distinguish synthetic and natural diamonds.

[0008] Synthetic gems have been manufactured since the 1960s as an attempt to substitute for naturally occurring gems. Advances in the methods of manufacture have made it possible to produce synthetic gems of equal or better appearance than naturally occurring gems. Examples of these synthetic gems include the synthetic diamonds disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,673, and the moissanite gems disclosed in, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,762,896, 6,025,289, and 6,200,917.

[0009] In the HPHT method, a small diamond seed crystal is placed in a high-pressure press along with a carbon source, typically graphite or diamond powder, and a metal catalyst such as iron, nickel, or cobalt. The press subjects the mixture to extreme pressure, typically around 5-6 gigapascals (GPa), and high temperatures ranging from 1400°C to 1600°C. Under these conditions, the carbon atoms from the source material dissolve into the diamond seed and crystallize onto its surface, gradually growing the diamond. The process can take several days to weeks to complete, depending on the desired size and quality of the diamond.

[0010] In the CVD method, a diamond seed crystal is placed in a vacuum chamber, and a carbon-containing gas mixture, such as methane (CH4) hydrogen (H2), and other gases, is introduced into the chamber. The gas is then activated by various energy sources, such as microwave radiation or hot filament heating, causing it to break down into carbon atoms. These carbon atoms accumulate on the surface of the diamond seed, layer by layer, forming a growing diamond structure. The process typically occurs at lower pressures (around 120 - 140 torr) and temperatures (around 800 -1000°C) compared to HPHT, but it can still take several weeks to grow a sizable diamond. CVD-grown diamonds offer excellent control over purity, color, and defect levels, and they are often used in electronics, optics, and jewelry.

[0011] A fairly recent trend is the creation of memorial diamonds. Like objects of remembrance more broadly, these diamonds allow the grieving to “preserve a material presence in the face of an embodied absence.” These diamonds are unique in that they offer the possibility, literally and figuratively, of materially embodying the deceased in the form of a carbon-based stone. Memorial diamonds challenge these assumptions as a particular subset of the synthetic gemstone market. They seem to create new ways of valuing gemstones by recasting the relation between death and life through the production of an organic-based synthetic material.

[0012] Cremation methods reduce human or pet remains to ashes, typically consisting of bone ashes and small amounts of elements including carbon. These ashes can sometimes be referred to as “cremains.” In the case of a human body the approximate amount of carbon released as carbon dioxide during cremation is estimated by multiplying the weight of the body by 0.18. The human body is 96.2% by weight oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. The small amount of carbon locked up in the bones as calcium carbonate is present in the ashes, which is mostly calcium phosphate.

[0013] Extraction of carbon from cremains is done using multiple processes, such as fdtration using an acidic process followed by thermal pyrolysis. Current methods by which purified carbon derived from cremation ashes or hair in combination with any supplemental carbon may be transformed to diamond, is via HPHT synthesis according to the published literature on memorial diamonds being produced by various companies worldwide. All memorial diamond companies claim to be able to take about a cup full of ashes and / or hair and convert the material to purified carbon which may be mixed with some supplemental pure carbon from generic sources in order to create the carbon source for conventional HPHT diamond synthesis. The HPHT synthesis method was chosen as the method since it was considered to be the only method to grow one diamond at a time using a solid carbon source.

[0014] Memorial diamond companies came into existence in the early 2000s and the market has slowly grown, as awareness has grown of this technology as a means to create a tangible object of value in remembrance of a loved one. Memorial diamond companies, however, typically do not have the technical expertise to perform the work necessary to convert ashes and / or hair to purified carbon and thereafter use this carbon to transform it into a real diamond. These companies frequently rely upon multiple outside vendors who handle the various steps of the process. This in turn translates to several months to over a year to create the memorial diamond from when they first receive the cremation ashes and / or hair from the family of the deceased. Additionally, there are many challenges these companies face with regard to the quality of the memorial diamond that they are able to create. Frequently the diamonds are restricted to only small sizes of 0.25 - 1.5 carats and they are often of poor color or clarity. The customer is made to believe that the poor color and clarity are just additional elements of how the personal carbon converted to form the diamond. Many times the diamond is of such poor quality and so highly included that the memorial diamond company is compelled to redo the process with their preferred vendors.

[0015] Considering the fact that the amount of recovered personal carbon from cremation ashes is already so little, there is a question regarding whether the memorial diamond created using HPHT synthesis is truly a diamond made with a significant amount of personal carbon of a loved one. Memorial diamond companies today advertise the ability to make up to 3 carat size of memorial diamond using HPHT synthesis. HPHT is not the preferred technique for making large diamonds and although it is possible to grow diamond using HPHT technique in a relatively short time period, it is not possible to grow multiple large diamonds from one carbon source in one growth cell. These issues create several challenges and disadvantages for memorial diamond companies who would like to provide services to their clients who seek large diamonds, or who seek colorless and flawless quality diamonds, or who want multiple stones to be produced from the cremation ashes and / or hair that was provided.

[0016] There is therefore a need in the industry for new methods to create memorial and personal diamonds from purified carbon derived from cremains and / or hair of a deceased or from hair of the living to celebrate a life event (birth, marriage, anniversary etc.). Also, there is a need for methods of creating customized diamond from the carbon extracted out of any material of organic origin. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0017] The inventor has recognized that if oxidation of the human remains during cremation is substantially reduced, the remains will be reduced to a significant portion of carbon and other trace elements. Carbon can also be extracted from hair using a pyrolysis technique in a reducing atmosphere. It is not the object of this disclosure, however, to delve into the methods and processes by which carbon can be extracted from cremation ashes or from hair. It is only to provide reference to the field related to collection and preservation of purified carbon from the remains of a species of the Kingdom Animalia.

[0018] A real diamond can be created by using one of two well known methods - HPHT and CVD. The current state of the art for high quality, large crystal growth is by the CVD technique in which it is possible to achieve gem quality as well as semiconductor grade and electronic grade single crystal diamond of large sizes. Additionally, unlike HPHT synthesis, it is possible to grow a plurality of diamonds in a single growth run.

[0019] There has, however, not previously been a known method wherein the CVD technique is used to grow diamonds from purified carbon derived from cremation ashes or hair, for example hair that is collected from temple offerings, hair collected from salon clippings or other methods of hair collection from humans. Moreover, there has previously been no known method wherein the CVD technique is used to grow diamonds from other carbon sources, in particular, alcohol or other liquid organic materials, or various other materials of organic origin such as carbon dioxide derived from liquids such as alcohol or other organic liquids, or carbon dioxide from industrial waste products, that can be converted to hydrocarbon feed gases suitable for CVD growth of diamond material.

[0020] This disclosure describes methods to convert purified carbon in the form of a compressed pellet or loose powder into a hydrocarbon gas, and methods to convert carbon dioxide into a hydrocarbon gas suitable for the purpose of growing a diamond using the CVD technique. The source of the purified carbon can be cremated ash of species in Kingdom Animalia, or from hair of the deceased, or hair provided by a person, or persons, organizations religious or of practical origin, or from any other material of organic origin which may carry a particular significance. The source of the carbon dioxide may be from purified carbon, a liquid of organic origin such as an alcohol, or a byproduct from an industrial process.

[0021] The CVD technique of growing diamond is based upon creation of an energetic plasma of gases comprising a mixture of hydrogen and a carbon-rich hydrocarbon gas in a specific proportion that acts as the source for growth of the single crystal diamond. The hydrocarbon gas may be CT , that is typically used for growing high quality diamond.

[0022] According to embodiments, a method of synthesizing a gem quality diamond from alternative carbon sources includes providing a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) reactor having a chamber, a metal holder inside the chamber, and a microwave generator, placing an alternative carbon source on the metal holder, evacuating the chamber to a pressure within a range of from about IE-2 Torr to IE-5 Torr using a vacuum pump, flowing purified hydrogen gas into the chamber at a first flow rate of from about 100 standard cubic centimeters per minute (SCCM) up to about 1000 SCCM, creating a hydrogen plasma in the chamber using the microwave generator, flowing pure argon gas into the chamber at a second flow rate of from about 50 SCCM to 500 SCCM, negatively electrically biasing the holder within a voltage range of from about -15V to about -100V, maintaining a desired temperature in the chamber in a range of from about 400 C to about 1300 C, collecting a gaseous reaction product from the chamber using the vacuum pump, purifying the gaseous reaction product to produce substantially pure gaseous CH4, and feeding the substantially pure gaseous CH4 into the chamber and using the MPCVD reactor to produce the gem quality diamond.

[0023] In embodiments, the flow rate of purified hydrogen gas into the chamber is from about 300 SCCM to about 600 SCCM, and the flow rate of pure argon gas into the chamber is from about 75 SCCM to about 150 SCCM.

[0024] According to embodiments, the method can further include flowing pure helium gas into the chamber at a flow rate of from about 1 SCCM up to about 50 SCCM. The temperature inside the chamber can be monitored using laser interferometry, and the pressure inside the chamber can be monitored. The reaction can be adjusted using a process controller by controlling the power supplied by the microwave generator and the pressure of the gases in the chamber to maintain the desired temperature. The substantially pure gaseous CH can be fed into the chamber using a mass flow controller.

[0025] In embodiments, the desired temperature in the chamber is maintained in a range from about 400 C to about 600 C, and the pressure in the chamber with the hydrogen plasma present is maintained in a range from about 110 Torr to about 130 Torr.

[0026] In embodiments the carbon source can be placed on a catalyst, or be surrounded by a catalyst, made of a pure noble metal from the group consisting of platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), ruthenium (Ru), and rhodium (Rh), within the metal holder. In embodiments the metal holder can be made from molybdenum. The alternative carbon source can be carbonized remains of a human or animal.

[0027] In embodiments, the gaseous reaction product can be compressed and stored in a gas pressure cylinder.

[0028] In further embodiments, the method can include placing the carbon source on, or surrounding the carbon source with, a nickel (Ni)-based catalyst used in conjunction with noble metals in a bi-metallic system, such as ruthenium (Ru), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), platinum (Pt) and iridium (Ir), and flowing pure oxygen into the chamber.. In other embodiments, the method can include placing the carbon source on, or surrounding the carbon source with, a catalyst composed of a metal-ligand complex, and flowing pure oxygen into the chamber.

[0029] In embodiments, a method of synthesizing a gem quality diamond from alternative carbon sources includes producing a quantity of carbon dioxide gas from an alternative carbon source, providing a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) reactor having a chamber, a metal holder inside the chamber, and a microwave generator, placing a catalyst made of pure metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, ruthenium, palladium, rhodium, platinum and iridium on the metal holder, evacuating the chamber to a pressure within a range of from about IE-2 Torr to IE-5 Torr using a vacuum pump, feeding the carbon dioxide gas into the chamber, flowing purified hydrogen gas into the chamber at a first flow rate of from about 100 standard cubic centimeters per minute (SCCM) up to about 1000 SCCM, creating a hydrogencarbon dioxide plasma in the chamber using the microwave generator, maintaining a desired temperature in the chamber in a range of from about 400 C to about 1300 C, collecting a gaseous reaction product from the chamber using the vacuum pump, removing water vapor from the gaseous reaction product using an absorber, purifying the gaseous reaction product to produce substantially pure gaseous CH4, and feeding the substantially pure gaseous CH4 into the chamber and using the MPCVD reactor to produce the gem quality diamond.

[0030] In embodiments, the flow rate of purified hydrogen gas into the chamber is from about 300 SCCM to about 600 SCCM.

[0031] In embodiments, the method can include monitoring the temperature inside the chamber using laser interferometry, and monitoring the pressure inside the chamber. The method can include adjusting the reaction using a process controller by controlling the power supplied by the microwave generator and the pressure of the gases in the chamber to maintain the desired temperature.

[0032] In embodiments, the desired temperature in the chamber is maintained in a range from about 400 C to about 600 C, and the pressure in the chamber with the hydrogen-carbon dioxide plasma present is maintained in a range from about 110 Torr to about 130 Torr.

[0033] In embodiments, the substantially pure gaseous CH4 is fed into the chamber using a mass flow controller. The metal holder may be made from molybdenum. The alternative carbon source can be carbonized remains of a human or animal. The gaseous reaction product can be compressed and stored in a gas pressure cylinder. The summary above is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure. The figures and the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The subject matter hereof may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0035] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic depiction of a process flow according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0036] FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of an embodiment of an apparatus for synthesizing lab grown diamond from alternative carbon sources;

[0037] FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction of another embodiment of an apparatus for synthesizing lab grown diamond from alternative carbon sources; and

[0038] FIG. 4 is a schematic depiction of yet another embodiment of an apparatus for synthesizing lab grown diamond from alternative carbon sources.

[0039] While various embodiments are amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0040] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] According to embodiments of the invention, purified carbon is first extracted from cremation ashes and / or hair using techniques described in the prior art. Generally, the purified carbon is then compressed to form a pellet by using an organic binder material or the purified carbon can be a loose powder consisting of granules. The purified carbon is reacted in the presence of atomic hydrogen in a low pressure vessel to create CEE gas. The reaction product may contain a small fraction of other hydrocarbons, but the goal is to maximize the CH4 content of the reaction product. The reaction between atomic hydrogen and the purified carbon occurs in the temperature range of about 400 C to about 1300 C, or more preferably about 400 C to about 600 C, the specific temperature conditions being created by igniting a plasma using molecular hydrogen as the feed gas in an apparatus with a vacuum chamber in which the carbon is placed on a suitable holding fixture. The chamber is evacuated using suitable vacuum pumping apparatus to remove all air to achieve a vacuum level in the range IE-2 to IE-5 Torr. The chamber has inputs for purified gas or gases via mass flow controllers, a source of energy such as a radio frequency or microwave generator, and for controlling the pressure inside the chamber in the range of 50 to 150 Torr, and preferably in a range from about 110 Torr to about 150 Torr. The input gas for the reaction with the purified carbon may be pure molecular hydrogen, or in combination with argon, and / or helium. The fixture holding the purified carbon may be placed at a negative electrical bias condition so as to improve ion bombardment.

[0042] For purposes of this application, “alternative carbon source” means purified carbon from cremated ash of species in Kingdom Animalia, from hair of a deceased or hair provided by a person, or persons, organizations religious or of practical origin, or from any other material of organic origin which may carry a particular significance to a person.

[0043] In one embodiment, as depicted in the diagrams of FIGs. 1 and 2, the reaction between purified carbon and feed gases is conducted in a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) reactor 200 typically used for growth of diamond materials by integrating additional components to the apparatus. As depicted in the diagram of FIG. 1, the method 98 proceeds by first providing an MPCVD reactor 200 having a chamber 202 at step 100. Next, at 102, the carbon source 204 is placed on a molybdenum holder 206 that is kept inside the chamber 202 in contact with a cooling assembly (not depicted). At 104, the reaction chamber 202 is evacuated using suitable vacuum pump(s) 208, 209, to a pressure of IE-2 Torr up to IE-5 Torr.

[0044] Purified hydrogen gas from a reaction feed gas source 210 is flowed into the chamber at a rate of from about 100 standard cubic centimeters per minute (SCCM) up to about 1000 SCCM at step 106. It has been found that a preferable range is from about 300 SCCM to about 600 SCCM. A hydrogen plasma is created in the chamber 202 at 108 using a microwave plasma generator (not depicted). Pure argon gas from the reaction feed gas source 210 can be introduced into the chamber 202 at a flow rate of from about 50 SCCM to 500 SCCM at 110. It has been found that a preferable range is from about 75 SCCM to about 150 SCCM to promote a plasma temperature suitable for maintaining atomic hydrogen. Pure helium gas from the reaction feed gas source 210 can be added at a flow rate of from about 1 SCCM to 50 SCCM at 112. The molybdenum holder 206 is then negatively electrically biased in the range of from about -15 V to about -100V at 114. The temperature of the source carbon 204 is monitored using laser interferometry to maintain a temperature in a range of from about 400 C to about 1300 C at 116. It has been found that a preferable range for temperature is from about 400 C to about 600 C to promote the conversion of carbon to methane. The reaction can be adjusted as necessary using a process controller 212 by controlling the power supplied by the microwave generator and the pressure of gases in the chamber to maintain the desired temperature. The pressure in the chamber should be selected, monitored, and maintained so as to generate a high density plasma. It has been found that a preferable pressure range is from about 110 Torr to about 130 Torr.

[0045] In another embodiment of the invention as depicted in the apparatus schematic of FIG. 3, the carbon source 204 may be placed over and surrounded by a catalyst 214 in the form of pellets. The catalyst 214 may be made of pure metal such as nickel, ruthenium, palladium, rhodium, platinum or iridium. The catalyst 214 may also be composed of a metal-ligand complex. The types of catalysts used in hydrogenation reactions are known to those skilled in the art. Pure oxygen from the gas reaction feed gas source 210 can be introduced into the chamber at a flow rate of 20 CCM to 500 CCM. The temperature of the carbon 204 is monitored using laser interferometry to maintain a temperature in a range of from about 400 C to about 1300 C at 116. Again, it has been found that a preferable range is from about 400 C to about 600 C. Using the process controller 212, the reaction can be adjusted as necessary by controlling the power supplied by the microwave generator and the pressure of gases in the chamber to maintain the desired temperature as before. In this reaction, the product gases will contain water vapor which must be separated completely, for example using an absorber 216, so that the balance of remaining product is composed primarily of hydrocarbon gases.

[0046] At 118, the gaseous reaction product is collected from the exhaust of the vacuum pump(s) 208, 209. This reaction product is then compressed with a suitable pressuring system 218 such as a compressor, and stored in a gas pressure cylinder 220 at 120. Next, at the completion of the reaction, the contents of the gas cylinder 220 can be analyzed for composition and purified using appropriate purification techniques to extract substantially pure CH4 at 122. Finally at 124, the purified CF can be fed back into the MPCVD reactor 200 using a mass flow controller 222 and used to grow gem quality diamond blocks using the collected substantially pure CH4 as the carbon source. The result is gem quality diamond that can be made into a polished gem or other decorative / keepsake artifact.

[0047] In further embodiments, the reaction between purified carbon and feed gases can be conducted in any other suitable stand-alone apparatus capable of generating an energetic plasma in order to create the conditions suitable for reaction between the purified carbon with atomic hydrogen species with or without the assistance of other gases such as argon and / or helium. The reaction products are captured from the exhaust, and stored in gas cylinders using a compressor as before.

[0048] Hence, each carbon source can be converted into the hydrocarbon mixed gas that is stored in portable cylinders or other appropriate collection devices and labelled, thus creating “memorial" or “personal” gas that was derived from a particular carbon source. The carbon source can be extracted from any and all objects, living or dead, from any and all materials that have organic origin thus ensuring that they must contain carbon, in any form solid or liquid.

[0049] It will be appreciated that embodiments of the invention may be applied to create:

[0050] • memorial diamonds from cremation ashes;

[0051] • personal diamonds from hair; and / or

[0052] • custom diamonds from carbon extracted from various materials such as alcohols, wood, hair clippings that are normally considered a waste material, hair donated to temples as offering or any other carbon containing materials, for the purpose of marketing a spirit diamond, religion wood to make holy diamonds, or temple diamonds. • diamonds created from carbon dioxide waste gases produced from industrial processes.

[0053] As depicted in the schematic of FIG. 4, a further embodiment of the invention uses carbon dioxide gas as the source material for conversion to a hydrocarbon gas. In this embodiment the carbon dioxide gas 224 is fed into the reaction chamber 202 of an MPCVD reactor 200 typically used for growth of diamond materials by integrating additional components to the apparatus. As depicted in the diagram of FIG. 1, the method 98 proceeds by first providing an MPCVD reactor 200 having a chamber 202 at step 100. Next, at 102, the purified carbon dioxide 224 is fed into the reaction chamber 202 in which a catalyst material 214 in the form of pellets is placed on the molybdenum holder that is kept inside the chamber in contact with a cooling assembly. At 104, the reaction chamber 202 is evacuated using suitable vacuum pump(s) 208, 209, to a pressure of IE-2 Torr up to IE-5 Torr.

[0054] Purified hydrogen gas reaction feed gas source 210 is flowed into the chamber 202 at a rate of from about 100 SCCM up to about 1000 SCCM at step 106, preferably in a range of from about 300 SCCM to about 600 SCCM A hydrogen-carbon dioxide plasma is created in the chamber 202 at 108 using the microwave plasma generator. The catalysts used for the reaction of hydrogen with carbon dioxide can be selected from the group consisting of nickel, ruthenium, platinum, palladium, iridium and rhodium or any other material suitable for a methanation reaction as described elsewhere in prior art. As described above, the reaction can be adjusted as necessary using process controller 212 to control the power supplied by the microwave generator and the pressure of gases in the chamber to maintain the desired temperature within a range of from about 400 C to about 1300 C, or preferably from about 400 C to about 600 C . At 118, the gaseous reaction product which is composed of hydrocarbon gas and water vapor is collected from the exhaust of the vacuum pump(s) 208, 209. The water vapor from the reaction product must be separated by the use of water absorbers 216 that are placed either as a single absorber or a plurality of absorbers in series to ensure substantially all of the water is removed from the reaction product. This reaction product is then compressed with a suitable compressor 218 and stored in a gas pressure cylinder 220 at 120. Next, at the completion of the reaction, the contents of the gas cylinder 220 can be analyzed for composition and purified using appropriate purification techniques to extract substantially pure CH4 at 122. Finally at 124, the purified CFU can be fed back into the MPCVD reactor 200 using a mass flow controller 222 and used to grow gem quality diamond blocks using the collected substantially pure CFU as the carbon source. The result is gem quality diamond that can be made into a polished gem or other decorative / keepsake artifact.

[0055] Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have been described herein. These embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed inventions. It should be appreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodiments that have been described may be combined in various ways to produce numerous additional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials, dimensions, shapes, configurations and locations, etc., have been described for use with disclosed embodiments, others besides those disclosed may be utilized without exceeding the scope of the claimed inventions.

[0056] Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that the subject matter hereof may comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features of the subject matter hereof may be combined. Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; rather, the various embodiments can comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, elements described with respect to one embodiment can be implemented in other embodiments even when not described in such embodiments unless otherwise noted.

[0057] Although a dependent claim may refer in the claims to a specific combination with one or more other claims, other embodiments can also include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of each other dependent claim or a combination of one of more features with other dependent or independent claims. Such combinations are proposed herein unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended.

[0058] Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is further limited such that no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is yet further limited such that any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein.

[0059] For purposes of interpreting the claims for the present invention, it is expressly intended that the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) are not to be invoked unless the specific terms "means for" or "step for" are recited in a claim.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method of synthesizing a gem quality diamond from alternative carbon sources, comprising: providing a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) reactor having a chamber, a metal holder inside the chamber, and a microwave generator; placing an alternative carbon source on the metal holder; evacuating the chamber to a pressure within a range of from about IE-2 Torr to IE-5 Tonusing a vacuum pump; flowing purified hydrogen gas into the chamber at a first flow rate of from about 100 standard cubic centimeters per minute (SCCM) up to about 1000 SCCM; creating a hydrogen plasma in the chamber using the microwave generator; flowing pure argon gas into the chamber at a second flow rate of from about 50 SCCM to 500 SCCM; negatively electrically biasing the holder within a voltage range of from about -15V to about -100V; maintaining a desired temperature in the chamber in a range of from about 400 C to about 1300 C; collecting a gaseous reaction product from the chamber using the vacuum pump; purifying the gaseous reaction product to produce substantially pure gaseous CTU; andfeeding the substantially pure gaseous CH4 into the chamber and using the MPCVD reactor to produce the gem quality diamond.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the flow rate of purified hydrogen gas into the chamber is from about 300 SCCM to about 600 SCCM.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the flow rate of pure argon gas into the chamber is from about 75 SCCM to about 150 SCCM.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising flowing pure helium gas into the chamber at a flow rate of from about 1 SCCM up to about 50 SCCM.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring the temperature inside the chamber using laser interferometry, and monitoring the pressure inside the chamber.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising adjusting the reaction using a process controller by controlling the power supplied by the microwave generator and the pressure of the gases in the chamber to maintain the desired temperature.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired temperature in the chamber is maintained in a range from about 400 C to about 600 C.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure in the chamber with the hydrogen plasma present is maintained in a range from about 110 Torr to about 130 Torr.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the substantially pure gaseous CH4 is fed into the chamber using a mass flow controller.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal holder is made from molybdenum.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternative carbon source comprises carbonized remains of a human or animal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaseous reaction product is compressed and stored in a gas pressure cylinder.

13. The method of any of the above claims, further comprising placing the carbon source on, or surrounding the carbon source with, a catalyst made of pure metal selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, palladium, rhodium, platinum and iridium.

14. The method of any of claims 1-12, further comprising placing the carbon source on, or surrounding the carbon source with, a Ni-based catalyst used in conjunction with a noble metal selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, palladium, rhodium, platinum and iridium, in a bi-metallic system, and flowing pure oxygen into the chamber15. The method of any of claims 1-12, further comprising placing the carbon source on, or surrounding the carbon source with, a catalyst composed of a metal-ligand complex, and flowing pure oxygen into the chamber.

16. A method of synthesizing a gem quality diamond from alternative carbon sources, comprising: producing a quantity of carbon dioxide gas from an alternative carbon source; providing a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) reactor having a chamber, a metal holder inside the chamber, and a microwave generator; placing a catalyst made of pure metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, ruthenium, palladium, rhodium, platinum and iridium on the metal holder; evacuating the chamber to a pressure within a range of from about IE-2 Torr to IE-5 Tonusing a vacuum pump; feeding the carbon dioxide gas into the chamber; flowing purified hydrogen gas into the chamber at a first flow rate of from about 100 standard cubic centimeters per minute (SCCM) up to about 1000 SCCM; creating a hydrogen-carbon dioxide plasma in the chamber using the microwave generator; maintaining a desired temperature in the chamber in a range of from about 400 C to about 1300 C; collecting a gaseous reaction product from the chamber using the vacuum pump;removing water vapor from the gaseous reaction product using an absorber; purifying the gaseous reaction product to produce substantially pure gaseous CT ; and feeding the substantially pure gaseous CH4 into the chamber and using the MPCVD reactor to produce the gem quality diamond.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the flow rate of purified hydrogen gas into the chamber is from about 300 SCCM to about 600 SCCM.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising monitoring the temperature inside the chamber using laser interferometry, and monitoring the pressure inside the chamber.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising adjusting the reaction using a process controller by controlling the power supplied by the microwave generator and the pressure of the gases in the chamber to maintain the desired temperature.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the desired temperature in the chamber is maintained in a range from about 400 C to about 600 C.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the pressure in the chamber with the hydrogen-carbon dioxide plasma present is maintained in a range from about 110 Torr to about 130 Torr.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the substantially pure gaseous CH4 is fed into the chamber using a mass flow controller.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the metal holder is made from molybdenum.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the alternative carbon source comprises carbonized remains of a human or animal.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the gaseous reaction product is compressed and stored in a gas pressure cylinder.

26. A method for synthesizing diamond, comprising: converting a carbon source to substantially pure gaseous CH4; collecting the substantially pure gaseous CH4; pressuring and storing the substantially pure gaseous CH in a pressurized gas container; and connecting the pressurized gas container to a CVD reactor and using the CVD reactor to produce the diamond.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the carbon source is an alternative carbon source.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the carbon source is alcohol or other liquid organic materials, carbon dioxide derived from liquids such as alcohol or other organic liquids, or carbon dioxide from industrial waste products.

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