Structure formation of the superhard carbon ceramics in sintering powders of the carbon amorphous phase in a mixture with nanocrystalline diamond at high static pressures

The results have been discussed of studying the structure and hardness of polycrystals produced from nanodispersed powders of mixtures of the amorphous carbon phase and nanocrystalline diamond. The initial powders have been synthesized by high-temperature shock compression and sintered at a pressure of 13 GPa and temperatures from 1100 to 2000°C. The sintering has been accompanied by the transformation of amorphous carbon into diamond. As the diamond content of the sample has been increased from 10 to 100%, the hardness increased from 45 to 80 GPa.