EDINBURGH: Candle flames contain millions of tiny diamond particles, a British university professor has discovered.
Research by Wuzong Zhou, a professor of chemistry at the University of St Andrews in Fife, revealed that around 1.5 million diamond nanoparticles are created in a candle flame every second it is burning.
Dr Zhou used a new sampling technique to remove particles from the centre of the flame, which is believed to have never been done before, and found that it contained all four known forms of carbon.
''This was a surprise because each form is usually created under different conditions,'' he said.
The diamond particles were burnt away in the process, he said, but the discovery could lead to future research into how diamonds could be created more cheaply, and in a more environmentally friendly way.
''This will change the way we view a candle flame forever,'' he said.
He uncovered the secret after a challenge from a fellow scientist in combustion, he said. ''A colleague at another university said to me: 'Of course no one knows what a candle flame is actually made of.'
''I told him I believed science could explain everything eventually, so I decided to find out.''
Previous research has shown that hydrocarbon molecules at the bottom of the flame are converted into carbon dioxide by the top of the flame.
However, the process in between has remained a mystery until now, with the discovery of the diamond nanoparticles.
Press Association
Research by Wuzong Zhou, a professor of chemistry at the University of St Andrews in Fife, revealed that around 1.5 million diamond nanoparticles are created in a candle flame every second it is burning.
Dr Zhou used a new sampling technique to remove particles from the centre of the flame, which is believed to have never been done before, and found that it contained all four known forms of carbon.
The diamond particles were burnt away in the process, he said, but the discovery could lead to future research into how diamonds could be created more cheaply, and in a more environmentally friendly way.
''This will change the way we view a candle flame forever,'' he said.
He uncovered the secret after a challenge from a fellow scientist in combustion, he said. ''A colleague at another university said to me: 'Of course no one knows what a candle flame is actually made of.'
''I told him I believed science could explain everything eventually, so I decided to find out.''
Previous research has shown that hydrocarbon molecules at the bottom of the flame are converted into carbon dioxide by the top of the flame.
However, the process in between has remained a mystery until now, with the discovery of the diamond nanoparticles.
Press Association
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