[ATM] Re: Tile tool x diamond pellets

[Mark Holm <mdholm@telerama.com>]

Diamond is roughly 50% denser than glass. That ought to make a properly 
designed elutriator, or water slurry centrifugal separator work for 
separating diamond dust from glass dust.  One of the foam flotation 
methods might work too with the right surfactant.  Glass and diamond 
have rather different surface chemistry.

Air separation might work too.  There are air centrifugal separators.

For small quantities a static elutriator should be simplest.  Might get 
a better cut using saturated calcium chloride (high class ice melting 
salt) solution rather than water since the relative density difference 
would then be higher.  You ought to be able to get a bit denser by 
dissolving sugar into a saturated CaCl2 solution.

You could, in principle, dissolve the glass out with KOH or NaOH, but 
that is a nasty way.

Glass should float on liquid bromine while diamond should sink in it.  
If heating pitch on your kitchen stove hasn't won you a divorce yet, 
bromine surely would ;)

-- 
Mark Holm
mdholm@telerama.com


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