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1951
Start of GE Laboratory Project
The Road
to Success
 GE
vigorously took up the challenge to develop a manufactured
diamond in 1951, committing significant resources and
appointing a team of 9 scientists including: Abraham
L. Marshall, head of the chemistry department, Anthony
J. Nerad, head of the mechanical investigations section,
Dr. Francis P. Bundy and Dr. Herbert M. Strong of mechanical
investigations, Dr. H. Tracy Hall of the chemistry department,
Dr. Robert H. Wentorf, a physical chemist, Harold P.
Bovenkerk and James Cheney. The team perfected Bridgman’s
high pressure/high temperature theories. Within two
years they created a “belt apparatus”, a large
hydraulic press capable of producing conditions roughly
equivalent to those 160 miles below the surface of the
earth or approximately 6895 MPa (1,000,000 psi) and
temperatures of 3500°C (6332°F). The team also
designed a gasketing system to hold the diamond-making
materials. It took yet another year of experimentation
before the scientists realized that, along with compressing
and heating the graphite structure, a catalyst, consisting
of molten iron nickel or cobalt, was necessary to trigger
the atomic transformation. Within days of the discovery
of the catalyst, these scientists succeeded in creating
diamond.
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