**Chapter 6 101**

Ab Initio Study of the Electronic and Energy Properties of Diamond Carbon *by Abdellah Sellam, Abdelaziz Koumina, Abderrahim Bakak, Abdellah Hadaoui, El Kebir Hlil and Rodolphe Heyd*

Preface

Diamond possesses high hardness and wear resistance, among other superior properties such as low coefficient of friction, high thermal conductivity, high corrosion resistance, low electrical conductivity, and so on. This book provides a comprehensive overview of diamond materials and their varied applications. It includes six chapters that examine diamond materials, including polycrystalline diamonds, diamond thin films, graphite, graphene, and nanodiamond. It also systematically reviews the synthesis, microstructure, and mechanical properties of ultra-hard carbon materials and presents the latest experimental results and findings on nano-polycrystalline diamond (NPD), nanotwinned diamond (NTD), micro-sized polycrystalline diamond (MPD), diamond thin films, and amorphous diamond/carbon. This book introduces the development and applications of the world's first catalyst-free polycrystalline diamonds in the oil and gas industry, including the latest breakthroughs in ultra-highpressure, high-temperature (HPHT) manufacturing technology to create the hardest diamond on earth for drilling and completion. The book also includes several chapters

that discuss diamond-cutting tools and diamond-drilling tools.

petroleum engineers, material scientists, and other interested readers.

This book is a useful resource for physicists, aerospace scientists, geoscience and

**Dr. Guodong (David) Zhan** Drilling Technology Division,

Advanced Research Center,

Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center (EXPEC),
