i want to know if a volcano is hot enough to melt, destroy, or even damage a diamond
2006-12-19 01:24:12 · 12 answers · asked by onyx200050 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
A diamond is made of pure carbon, and will start to burn before it melts. In a standard pressure and composition atmosphere with oxygen, the combustion temperature of a diamond is between 870 and 1070 K. In the absence of oxygen, it takes higher temperatures, in the order of 1275 K to begin to melt a diamond into graphite. Heating above 1800 K may be required to totally melt a diamond.
Basaltic magma, such as seen in the Hawaiian islands and along the oceanic ridges, can be in the range of 1400 K. This would be sufficient to ignite diamond if oxygen is present, and may begin melting in some diamonds, especially if they are impure or have inclusions.
Andesitic magma only gets up to about 1200 K, sufficient to ignite diamond, but probably not enough to melt it. Andesitic volcanoes would include most of the volcanoes found on land, such as in the Andes, Mt. St. Helen's, and Mt. Etna (the volcano that destroyed Pompei).
Rhylotic magma is cooler yet, only up to about 1000 K, and may not even be able to ignite diamond, even if oxygen is present.
Further down under the Earth's surface, temperatures may reach 3000 K or more, which would be more than sufficient to melt a diamond completely.
So if you're looking to melt a diamond, your best bet would be to throw it into the active cauldron of an island volcano. Even if it isn't completely destroyed, it's gonna be real hard to get it back.
2006-12-19 04:59:32 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Diamond Volcano
2016-11-02 22:57:08 · answer #2 · answered by isles 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is the intriguing thing, not even lava is hot enough to melt diamond! Its a good question but lava is usually around 750°C but can reach up to 1,250°C, diamond on the other hand, due to its amazingly strong covalent bonds (C=C - Carbon to carbon double bonds) on all 4 electron pairs (therefore 4 Carbons can attach to each carbon atom), diamond can endure around 2,300°C which is more than double the maximum heat a volcano can produce. The suns surface however would be capable of such a feat, photosphere of the sun (outer layer) has a temperature of around 6,000°C. But i don't know why you'd want to waste the pretty gem! hehe
Hope that helps! :D
2006-12-19 02:15:03 · answer #3 · answered by Chris K 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
f you were able to melt a diamond (this would have to be done in a
container free of oxygen or the diamond would burn), when it cooled it
would not be a diamond anymore. Note that the diamond is made of the
element carbon. To be a diamond the carbon atoms have to be in a special
order or stacking relative to each other. When you melt the diamond the
carbon atoms are no longer in this special order and when it cools back
down they do not return to the original stacking.
There are other forms of carbon, such as graphite and amorphous
carbon. Most likely you would end up with amorphous carbon.
Greg Bradburn
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2006-12-19 01:36:16 · answer #4 · answered by swamp elf 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Diamond begins to melt at 1600 degree celcius or more. Molten magma is generally at 1400 degrees. To melt diamond at 1600 degree it needs the help of oxygen. The presence of oxygen beneath the earth crust is negligible. Hence diamonds cannot be melted by volcano
2016-06-08 01:21:12 · answer #5 · answered by raymond 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, a lot of volcanoes have formed diamonds. They are usually found in Kimberlite dikes which are vertical shafts in the earth that contain the volcanic rock that formed the diamonds.
2006-12-20 07:46:49 · answer #6 · answered by Wee W 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not sure, because diamond are originally from charcoal.
Maybe gold will met in volcano.
2006-12-19 01:33:04 · answer #7 · answered by Red 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, it isn't. Most lava flows are in the 1,100 to 1,400 °C range, but diamond doesn't start to soften and melt until around 3,500 °C.
Doug
2006-12-19 01:32:45 · answer #8 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What is diamond actually is? It is carbon like charcoal but its particles arranged differently form charcoal. this makes it stronger but not make it harder to burn. So if you intend to burn you diamond ring with fire I suggest you not to do this. because this 'll turn your diamond to carbon dioxide
2006-12-19 01:52:01 · answer #9 · answered by autumns_sun 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
See Greg Bradburn's excellent answer below. No further comment needed.
2006-12-20 15:22:06 · answer #10 · answered by rice_dog 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋