Properties and Usefulness of Diamonds

Diamond is a mineral composed of carbon. Its dense crystal structure makes diamond the hardest substance known. Diamonds are completely transparent to a broad segment of the electromagnetic spectrum, which makes them useful in industrial, technological and scientific applications. Diamonds are also nonmetallic, do not conduct electricity and have a great thermal conductivity.
Diamonds are not only used in the jewelry industry, but are present in many technologies. Diamonds are used for machining plastic, glass and metal pieces necessary in products such as laser printer drums, polygon mirrors, automobile engine pistons, telephone, television, computers, CD players, etc.
Diamonds can be made into ultra-hard and smooth cutting knifes and scalpels for extremely precise surgery. Their resistance to wear becomes an asset in automated processes that need to make large number of copies of a same product, without having to replace the cutting tool. Diamonds are also part of dental drills. Their hardness also makes them useful as abrasive and grinding material.