Element six focuses diamond R&D on Harwell

Element Six, the industrial synthetic diamond subsidiary of De Beers, has consolidated its R&D operations at a UK site close to the Rutherford Appleton laboratories in the hope that by bringing a number of teams together it will open up more applications for diamond and similar ultra-hard materials. With three high-temperature presses already in place able to develop pressures up to 8GPa - today commercial synthetic diamonds are made with pressures of less than 6GPa -the centre has space for eight and will install a 10GPa-capable machine in the near future. As a result, services such as power played a key role in site selection.