III. Bakerian lecture, 1918.—Experiments on the artificial production of diamond

Abstract

In this paper is given an account of experiments on the artificial production of diamond which I commenced in 1887, and have carried on intermittently till the commencement of the War, when they were interrupted. Although the account is not as full as I could have wished, yet it is hoped that from the description of such experiments as relate to the salient features, followed by a summary of their bearings upon the research, and the conclusions at which we have arrived, together with an Appendix stating briefly the character of about one-third of the total number of experiments, a fair idea may be gathered of this research. One reason for writing this paper at the present time has been a publication on the same subject by Otto Ruff in ‘Zeitschrift für Anorganische Chemie,’ vol. 99, pp. 73—104, May 25, 1917, who also referred to the work of Lummer on the apparently molten aspect of the surface of the carbon of the electric arc.