6–10 Jul 2026
University of the Western Cape
Africa/Johannesburg timezone
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Performance Evaluation of Radiation-Induced Defects in Nanocrystalline Diamond Using Density Functional Theory

7 Jul 2026, 17:20
1h 20m
Great Hall (University of the Western Cape)

Great Hall

University of the Western Cape

Poster Presentation Track A - Physics of Condensed Matter and Materials Poster Session 1

Speaker

Mr Kelvin Matamela (University of Johannesburg)

Description

Nanocrystalline diamond has attracted significant attention as a protective material for extreme environments due to its exceptional hardness, high thermal conductivity, chemical stability, and radiation resistance. However, exposure to high-energy radiation can induce lattice defects in diamond—such as vacancies, interstitials, and substitutional defects—that may alter its structural and mechanical properties. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) was employed to investigate the influence of radiation-induced defects on the mechanical behavior of crystalline diamond. Key mechanical properties, including Young’s modulus, bulk modulus, shear modulus, and elastic constants, were predicted. Our results show that lattice defects, including vacancies and defect complexes, significantly modulate the mechanical properties of diamond. These findings provide insights into the performance of diamond-based materials in radiation-intensive environments and inform their suitability for advanced sensing technologies and other applications requiring high radiation tolerance.

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Author

Mr Kelvin Matamela (University of Johannesburg)

Co-authors

Abdool Sattar Cassim (Unioversity of Johannesburg) Emmanuel Igumbor (University of Johannesburg) Simon Connell (University of Johannesburg)

Presentation materials

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