Suh-micron diamond powder was heat-treated and its machining pert ormance wax tested in the texturing process or fixed disk blanks. Comparison indicated a significant increase of up to some 30% in stock rein al. as well as a reduction of 5% in surlacc roughness over the corresponding diamond as untreated. Such improvement can be related to the et lect s of an incrased friability and thus in number or edges available I or the stock removal process. Scratch marks, on the other hand. were essentially eliminated as a result of the deposition of non-diamond carbon on the surfaces of diamond particles, so much as to leave only edge projection tips uncvoered.