Zhengzhou Ushers in Its “Diamond Moment” | International Conference on Diamond and Related Materials Officially Kicks Off

From July 26 to 30, the International Conference on Diamond and Related Materials Applications, hosted by the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society (CMES) and co-organized by the CMES Subcommittee on Diamond and Products and the Henan Mechanical Engineering Society, was grandly held in Zhengzhou. The conference brought together domestic and international experts, scholars, research institutions, entrepreneurs, technical professionals, and university students from across the superhard materials and diamond industry chain to discuss cutting-edge technologies and future development trends.

The conference was divided into two sections: domestic and international. On July 27, the domestic conference took the lead, featuring keynote speeches by numerous industry experts on the latest research and industrialization progress in superhard materials and diamond applications, covering sectors such as lab-grown diamonds, precision machining, medical applications, and intelligent manufacturing.

Welcome Address by Shan Chongxin

Shan Chongxin, Chair of the CMES Diamond and Products Subcommittee, emphasized in his welcome speech that superhard materials are a critical cornerstone of advanced manufacturing, providing essential support for many frontier industries. He highlighted that while Henan has developed a complete industrial system and achieved notable results, challenges remain in high-end product manufacturing and equipment technologies. The goal of the conference, he stated, is to establish an international exchange platform to promote technical collaboration and industrial cooperation, accelerate the transformation of scientific achievements, and support the industry’s development toward intelligent and green manufacturing. He encouraged all participants to engage deeply and explore joint development.

Remarks by Yin Hongbin

Yin Hongbin, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Henan Association for Science and Technology, stressed the conference’s significance in promoting the global integration of the diamond industry. He underscored that scientific innovation is the driving force of industrial upgrading and that international cooperation is an inevitable trend. He highlighted the strategic importance of the new materials industry, stating that conceptual innovation is key to building a healthy industrial ecosystem. Yin also expressed that the Henan Association for Science and Technology will continue to support scientific and technological workers, facilitate technological breakthroughs and commercialization, and affirmed the conference’s vital role in promoting high-quality industry development.

Key Presentations

Wang Qinsheng: "Bottlenecks in China’s Lab-Grown Diamond Industry"
Professor Wang Qinsheng presented a comprehensive analysis of the current state and breakthrough strategies for China’s lab-grown diamond industry. He described a global tripartite pattern: consumption led by Europe and the U.S., processing dominated by India, and production concentrated in China. Despite accounting for 90% of global rough lab-grown diamond output (with 80% from Henan), China captures only 10% of the industry's total value, remaining at the lower end of the value chain.

Three major challenges: an imbalanced value chain (production–processing–consumption), low-price exports of 90% of rough diamonds, and limited domestic market penetration (only 5%) despite high potential. His proposed solutions include strengthening the cut-diamond processing segment through intelligent upgrades, securing policy support to build specialized industrial parks, and expanding industrial applications to foster dual domestic and international market circulation.

Wang Chengyong: "All-Laser Manufacturing of Diamond Components and Medical Applications"
Professor Wang Chengyong delved into cutting-edge research and innovative applications of diamond materials. China now leads the global diamond industry, projected to produce 80% of industrial diamonds by 2025, with rapid development in semiconductors and photovoltaics. The team has developed new high-thermal-conductivity and high-strength diamond/ceramic composites with controllable thermal properties.

In the medical field, leveraging diamond’s biocompatibility, the team has created diamond-based surgical needles and nanocomposite hydrogels, which have shown significant effects in wound healing, follicle regeneration, and bone tissue repair. Additionally, the introduction of all-laser manufacturing technology provides efficient and precise solutions for producing diamond components, showcasing vast potential in both industrial and medical sectors.

Cui Hailong: "Ultra-Precision Diamond Tool Manufacturing and Inspection Technologies"
Professor Cui Hailong highlighted the high precision requirements in aerospace component manufacturing, where diamond tool accuracy directly impacts quality. His team introduced an innovative full-edge precision control method based on abrasive grain behavior and grinding temperature, achieving stable nanometer-scale edge profiles.

For measurement, they developed a model based on contact constraints and tip radius compensation, solving irregular fitting point and size effect issues. Their evaluation of surface roughness, tool-tip waviness, and cutoff wavelength selection greatly improved measurement accuracy. A novel edge micro-defect evaluation method was also proposed, enabling detection of micron-level defects. He compared domestic and international grinding equipment, offering valuable insights for improving China's ultra-precision processing capabilities.

Wang Songjuan: "Analysis of International Standard Submission – Nanodiamond"
Wang Songjuan discussed the significance of developing international standards for nanodiamonds and explained the application process in detail. As a high-performance functional filler, nanodiamonds can enhance the mechanical strength, thermal conductivity, and wear resistance of polymer composites. However, the lack of international standards has long hindered industrialization.

The release of ISO 6031:2025 fills this gap. It provides standardized guidelines for nanodiamond applications in composites, promotes technical innovation and product reliability, and supports healthy industry development. She outlined the standardization process, key steps, and considerations, emphasizing the evolving role of ISO in meeting global industrial needs.

Dong Hanjie: "Advanced Bearing Manufacturing and the Application of Turning Instead of Grinding"
Dong Hanjie’s presentation focused on breakthroughs in turning-instead-of-grinding techniques, including tool selection optimization, ring and roller hard turning processes, and real-world applications by Luoyang Bearing Corporation. He emphasized the need for breakthroughs in high-performance bearing steel manufacturing—such as refining and homogenization—and promoted intelligent, eco-friendly heat treatment technologies.

He concluded by forecasting that future bearing manufacturing will follow a dual path: “high-performance manufacturing + smart manufacturing,” with ongoing innovation driving performance improvements.

Zhu Guangyu: "Global Trends in Lab-Grown Diamond Industry"
Zhu Guangyu conducted an in-depth analysis of the global lab-grown diamond industry, highlighting varied international attitudes toward the sector. Through trade data and price index analysis, he illustrated the competitive and complementary relationship between lab-grown and natural diamonds.

He emphasized China's structural challenges—high output but limited market share—and proposed four innovation pathways: application, process, standards, and policy. Strategically, he urged the industry to shift from “manufacturing” to “intelligent manufacturing,” from “product exports” to “IP exports,” and from “speed” to “quality,” aiming to fulfill the vision of “a diamond for everyone.”

Cai Tianshu: "AI-Integrated One-Stop Simulation Platform Empowering Jewelry Design"
Cai Tianshu introduced the Altair simulation and optimization platform, which integrates modeling visualization, physical solving, and simulation-driven design. The platform features rapid design modules, photo-realistic rendering, and AI-driven compound optimization for polymers and fuel additives—enhancing product performance and reducing costs.

Through real-world case studies, he demonstrated how this unified industrial design solution addresses pain points and offers powerful digital tools for creative sectors like jewelry design, enabling full-process optimization from concept to product.

Yang Shengreng: "Semiconductor Thinning and Grinding Processes and Equipment"
Researcher Yang Shengreng explained that with the development of advanced technologies like 2.5D/3D packaging, wafer thinning faces higher demands. While traditional packaging requires 300–600 μm thickness, advanced methods now push the limit below 30 μm. The core value of thinning lies in improving heat dissipation, reducing volume, stress relief, and enhancing electrical performance.

He explored challenges in processing third-generation semiconductors like silicon carbide. As a core IC process, grinding is advancing toward ultra-precision, integration, and intelligence. Multi-step processes (grinding-polishing-cleaning-inspection) are now being combined with AI monitoring and digital twin technology to achieve sub-micron precision.

Feng Jianbo: "Application of Magnetic Levitation Melting in Catalyst Materials"
Feng Jianbo presented vacuum magnetic levitation melting as the most ideal current technique for new material smelting, offering pollution-free and composition-uniform processes. Experiments with cobalt-iron alloys proved its superior degassing, impurity removal, and compositional consistency compared to traditional methods.

He introduced extended technologies, such as vacuum directional solidification casting and liquid metal cooling precision casting, which offer innovative solutions for producing high-performance single-crystal materials. He also revealed plans to establish a dedicated production center and joint labs with universities to broaden application of this technique.

This conference provided a high-level academic and industrial platform for the superhard materials and diamond industry, showcasing the latest technological achievements and propelling China’s superhard materials industry toward a new stage of high-quality development.