Artificial hip joints face a lot of stress, but a NASA-designed coating using diamond-like carbon makes them stronger and more durable. The same coating is also used on many other materials, from ball bearings and metal cutting tools to sunglass lenses and wristwatch crystals. It's a way of harnessing the strength of diamonds without the high cost of the coveted gems.
Diamonds are among the hardest substances on Earth. They are also among the best thermal conductors and electric insulators and are transparent to visible, infrared, and ultraviolet light. All these properties would make diamonds ideal for a range of industrial applications — except they're too expensive. NASA engineers found a way to deposit carbon ions so they "grow" into a thin diamond-like carbon film, which enhances the strength and durability of the underlying material.
Learn more about how NASA helped develop technology that impacts diamond coatings and artificial hip joints within your city's medical environment!