| United States Patent | 5,449,491 |
| Job | Sept. 12, 1995 |
| Inventors: | Job; Robert C. (Charlotte, NC). |
| Assignee: | MicroMet Technology, Inc. (Monroe, NC). |
| Appl. No.: | 386,195 |
| Filed: | Feb. 9, 1995 |
| Continuation of (including streamline cont.) Ser. No.921,904, Jul. 29, 1992, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 820,842, Jan. 15, 1992, abandoned. |
| Intl. Cl.: | C22C 38/00; C22C 26/00; C21D 1/18 |
| U.S. Cl.: | 420/590; 148/540; 148/579; 423/446 |
| Field of Search: | 148/538, 540-543, 320, 421, 423, 425, 426, 579; 420/590; 423/446 |
| 92/04279 | Mar., 1992 | EP |
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A method of producing diamond crystals from a metallofullerite matrix independent of external application of pressure is disclosed. The method comprises hyperquenching a portion of a metallic sold comprising a metal carbon matrix of an allotropic metal and metallofullerites of that allotropic metal after the portion has been heated to or near the critical temperature for its percentage composition of the allotropic metal, carbon, and other effective ingredients. The quenching is conducted rapidly enough to collapse fullerene structures present in the matrix into diamond crystals. The resulting metal-carbon matrix of an allotropic metal, metallofullerites of the allotropic metal, and diamond crystals are also disclosed.