Manufacturers of cutting tools embed diamonds in saw blades to bolster the devices. These tools are used for machining, boring, cutting and finishing, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. For example, companies that perform highway reconditioning employ diamond saws to cut and groove concrete. Diamond saws are also used to carve refractory shapes in furnace linings. Refractory materials include hard, heat-resistant materials, such as bricks, fire clay, alumina, silicon carbide and cement. Electronics manufacturers use fine diamond saws to cut crystals and rigid metals into wafers.
Companies that conduct oil, gas and mineral exploration use drill bits with diamond grains that have been folded into the metal tips. The diamonds furrow into rock as the drill bit rotates. Ream shells, which are part of the drilling apparatus and ream a precisely sized hole for a drill bit, are also built with diamonds to harden the metal tube. Other applications for bits and shells encompass masonry drilling, foundation testing and concrete inspection, says the U.S. Geological Survey.
Ranging as large as 1 meter in diameter, grinding wheels are built with diamond grit and powder. These wheels are used to shape carbide machine tool tips, edge plate glass and grind optical lenses. According to Geology.com, industrial diamonds are often pulverized into micron-sized abrasive particles, which are turned into a paste employed for polishing. Manufacturers use diamond powders to finish gemstones, cutting tools, silicon wafers, jewel bearings, ceramics, glass, metals and plastics.
Scientists use industrial diamonds for specialized applications in the laboratory. Because diamonds exhibit the highest thermal conductivity of any material, they are embedded in heat sinks, which are materials that either conduct away or absorb excess heat. Manufacturers rely on these sinks to protect heat-sensitive microelectronic parts. As a way to shield infrared windows of fighter planes against sand blasts in desert warfare, scientists have created a diamond coating that makes windows scratch-proof, according to Loose Diamonds. Membranes made of diamonds are also used to protect the openings in vacuum chambers, X-ray machines and lasers.