A pressure induced phase transition in pyroxene

Abstract

Two monoclinic pyroxenes of composition Ca(Fe,Mg)Si₂O₆ were studied up to 10 GPa using X-ray powder diffraction and ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauerspectroscopy. The results are indicative of a phase transition at 4 GPa.     

高压下LiB3O5晶体-非晶体相变的研究

 采用X射线粉末衍射和同步辐射能散X射线衍射技术，对LiB₃O₅（LBO）晶体进行了压致非晶化相变的研究，压力达45.1 GPa。实验结果表明，LBO存在两个中间相变，压力分别为5 GPa和15.8 GPa。而当压力增加到25~31.6 GPa时，LBO出现非晶态，这个非晶化相变是不可逆的。     

Crystal Structure Transformations of Rare-Gas Solids Under Pressure

Pressure-induced structural changes in solid krypton (Kr) and xenon (Xe) have been studied using angle dispersive X-ray diffraction in a diamond-anvil cell (DAC) up to 50 GPa. The analysis of the results shows that in solid Kr (Xe) the phase transition from fcc to hcp starts below 3.2 GPa (1.5 GPa). Albeit the hcp/fcc ratio increases under pressure, both phases coexist up to the highest pressure reached in this study. Room temperature (RT) equations of state (EOS) are determined.     

Compression behavior of NiO in a diamond cell

Abstract

The compressibility of synthetic polycrystalline NiO was studied in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature utilizing two different X-ray sources. A standard film with a conventional X-ray source and the energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) method with synchrotron radiation were used for data acquisition. In the film method, the sample was compressed in a 4:1 methanol to ethanol solution up to 7 GPa with ruby fluorescence as a pressure calibrant. In the energy dispersive method, NiO powder was mixed with gold and compressed in two different conditions: gasketed and ungasketed up to 30 GPa. In the gasketed run, water was used as the pressure transmitting medium while gold was used as pressure calibrant in both runs.

Hydrostatic compression of NiO in both diffraction methods yields a bulk modulus (K _o) of 187 ± 7 GPa assuming K′ = 4. The compression of gasketed NiO of the synchrotron experiment, however, showed an obvious break at pressure exceeding 4 GPa due to the loss of hydrostaticity. NiO in a nonhydrostatic condition behaves with less compressibility than the hydrostatic results with a nominal K _o of 238 ± 10 GPa. The lower compressibility of NiO in synchrotron runs is attributed to the uniaxial loading effect which was more easily detected by the EDXRD geometry. The discrepancy in the bulk modulus can be attributed to the contrast in the shear strength between the sample and pressure medium and the Poisson effect of the sample under uniaxial loading.     

Volume compression of thallium to 45 GPa

Abstract

High-pressure structural transition and volume compression for thallium were investigated to 45 GPa in a diamond anvil cell using the angular dispersive X-ray diffraction technique. Except for the known polymorphic transition at 3.7 GPa, no other structural change was observed in this pressure range. The equation of state of the high pressure phase has been obtained: its initial bulk modulus, B₀ = 33.1 GPa, is lower by 10% than that of the hexagonal phase at normal pressure.     

High-pressure phases of plutonium monoselenide studied by X-ray diffraction

Abstract

Plutonium monoselenide was studied under high pressure up to 47 GPa, at room temperature, using a diamond anvil cell in an energy dispersive X-ray diffraction facility. At ambient pressure, PuSe has the NaC1-type (B1) structure. The compound has been found to undergo a second-order crystallographic phase transition at around 20 GPa. This phase can be described as a distorted B1 structure, with a rhombohedral symmetry. PuSe transforms to a new phase at around 35 GPa, which can be indexed in the cubic CsCl-type (B2). The volume collapse at this phase transition is 11%. When releasing pressure, we observed a strong hysteresis to the inverse transformation down to 5 GPa. From the pressure-volume relationship, the bulk modulus has been determined to B ₀ = 98 GPa and its pressure derivative as B ₀ = 2.6. These results are compared to those obtained with other actinide monmictides and monochalcogenides.     

High pressure X-ray diffraction experiments on NpS and PUS up to 60 GPa

Abstract

Neptunium and plutonium monosulfides were studied under high pressure up to ～60 GPa using a diamond anvil cell in an energy dispersive X-ray diffraction facility. The compounds, of cubic rock salt structure type at ambient pressure, do not show any crystallographic phase transition in the domain of investigation. From the pressure-volume relationship, we determined bulk moduli of 92 and 120 GPa with pressure derivatives of 4.6 and 4.1 for NpS and PUS respectively.     

High-pressure in situ investigation of cubanite (CuFe2S3): Electronic structure

An in situ study of cubanite (CuFe₂S₃) was performed using energy dispersive X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature and pressures up to 5 GPa. Mössbauer spectra of orthorhombic cubanite show a single iron site with a hyperfine magnetic field that is relatively insentive to pressure, and a centre shift which decreases with pressure at a rate consistent with no significant changes in bonding. Above 3 GPa, however, a nonmagnetic component appears that can be fitted to a single asymmetric quadrupole doublet with a centre shift corresponding to valence between Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺. This is consistent with X-ray diffraction data that show an accompanying transition from the orthorhombic structure to the NiAs structure, where localised electron transfer could occur across pairs of face-shared octahedra or extended electron delocalisation could occur along sheets of face- and edge-shared octahedra.     

Thorium: Phase transformations and equation of state to 300 GPa

Abstract

Equation of state and phase transformations of thorium metal have been investigated to 300 GPa at 300 K in a diamond anvil cell using energy dispersive X-ray diffraction employing synchrotron source. Phase transformations in the 70–100 GPa range indicative of 5f-electron bonding are observed and thorium metal is isostructural with its 4f counterpart cerium at ultra high pressures. The measured static equation of state of thorium to 300GPa (volume fraction V/V _o = 0.40) at 300K is given. At high pressures, the sd to f electronic transfer has significant influence on the measured equation of state of thorium.     

纤锌矿氮化硼及其应用的研究（Ⅱ）——纤锌矿型氮化硼的等温状态方程

 使用两种不同的高压在位X光衍射法，研究了用爆炸法合成的纤锌矿型氮化硼（wBN）在室温下的等温状态方程。一种方法是用转靶X光角色散粉末衍射法，研究了它在0~40 GPa压力范围内的等温压缩行为。结果表明，wBN在0~40 GPa的压力范围内是稳定的，没有发生结构相变。通过p-V数据对Murnaghan方程拟合，得到wBN在p=0时的等温体模量B₀=(335±34) GPa及其对压力的一阶导数B₀'=4.21；另一种是用同步辐射X光能量色散衍射法，研究了它在0~25 GPa压力范围内的等温状态方程。实验中，使用了改进的自动加压的DAC高压装置，此装置保证了实验中衍射角θ₀固定不变。将获得的p-V数据仍用Murnaghan方程拟合，得到wBN在p=0时等温体模量B₀=(280±56) GPa，及其B₀'=4.39。     

A structural study of promethium metal under pressure

Abstract

The structural behaviour of Pm metal has been investigated up to 60 GPa of pressure using a Diamond Anvil Cell (DAC) and the energy dispersive X-ray diffraction technique. The room temperature/pressure structural form of Pm is dhcp and it transforms to a fcc phase by 10 GPa. This cubic phase of the metal converts by 18 GPa to a third phase, which has frequently been referred to as representing a distorted fcc structure. This latter form of Pm was retained up to 60 GPa, the maximum pressure studied, but subtle changes in the X-ray spectra between 50 and 60 GPa hinted that an additional structural change could be forthcoming at higher pressures. From the experimental data a bulk modulus (B₀) of 38 GPa and a B₀′ constant of 1.5 were calculated using the Birch equation. This modulus for Pm is in accord with the moduli reported for the neighboring lanthanide metals.     

高压下碳纳米管的X射线衍射研究

 用同步辐射原位高压能散X射线衍射技术,对碳纳米管进行了结构和物性的研究,压力达50.7 GPa。在室温常压下,碳纳米管的结构和石墨的hcp结构相似,其(002)衍射线的面间距为d₀₀₂=0.340 4 nm,(100)衍射线的面间距为d₁₀₀=0.211 6 nm。从高压X射线衍射实验看到,当压力升到8 GPa以上时,(002)线变宽变弱,碳纳米管部分非晶化。而当压力从10 GPa或20 GPa卸压至零时,(002)线部分恢复。但当压力升高至最高压力50.7 GPa时,碳纳米管完全非晶化,而且这个非晶化相变是不可逆的。用Birch-Murnaghan方程拟合实验数据,得到体弹模量为K₀=(54.3±3.2)GPa（当K′₀=4.0时）。     

High-pressure phase transitions in UP1-xSx

Abstract

High-pressure X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation has been performed on UP_1-x -S_x (X=0.1; 0.25; 0.4) up to 53 GPa UP_1-x S_x is a solid solution with a B1 (NaCl) structure. For all compositions a second order phase transition is observed around 10 GPa to a distorted B1 structure of rhombohedral symmetry. For UP_1-x S_x with x 0.25 a second phase transition is observed, which takes place in the region of 35 GPa This phase transition occurs when the nearest U-U distance reaches the Hill limit of 330–340 pm. The high-pressure phase seems to have orthorhombic or even monoclinic symmetry. It has some similarities to the high pressure phase of UP. UP^1-x S_x 4 shows only weak indications for an additional phase at 53 GPa. In conclusion, we observe that the second phase transition and the bulk modulus B, in UP shift to higher pressure, when phosphorus is replaced by sulfur.     

A synchrotron study of high-pressure transformations in TiH0·74

Abstract

The crystal structure of the TiH_0·74 alloy was studied by the energy dispersive X-ray diffraction technique in the pressure range to 30·5 GPa at temperatures to 630 K. A phase transformation to the (η + ω) two-phase state was found to occur above 7 GPa at room temperature, then (η+ω)-TiH_0·74 remained stable up to P=30·5 GPa. Another phase transformation resulting in a single-phase state, ζ-TiH_0·74, was found to occur upon heating (η+ω)-TiH_0·74 above T ? 560 K. Both high-pressure phases, η and ζ, were indexed on the basis of the tetragonal sublattices of the Ti atoms with nearly the same specific volumes. It is assumed from the relation of the specific volumes that the hydrogen atoms occupy the tetrahedral interstices in the ζ-phase and the octahedral interstices in the η-phase.     

A new structure of mercury under pressure

A reentrant trigonal (α)-Hg phase and a new hcp (δ)-Hg phase have been observed in energy dispersive X-ray diffraction measurements on mercury at room temperature and pressures up to 39 GPa. Studies at higher temperatures give first indications for a maximum in the α-β phase line at about 8(1) GPa and 380(10) K and an α-β-δ triple point at about 27(5) GPa and 180(20) K.     

Study of phase transition on nanocrystalline (La, Sr)(Mn, Fe)O system using high-pressure Mössbauer spectroscopy and high-pressure X-ray diffraction

Pressure-induced structural changes on nano-crystalline La_0.8Sr_0.2Mn_0.8Fe_0.2O₃ were studied using high-pressure Mössbauer spectroscopy and high-pressure X-ray diffraction. Mössbauer measurements up to 10 GPa showed first order transition at 0.52 GPa indicating transformation of Fe^4?+? to high spin Fe^3?+?, followed by another subtle transition at 3.7 GPa due to the convergence of two different configurations of Fe into one. High-pressure X-ray diffraction measurements carried up to 4.3 GPa showed similar results at 0.6 GPa as well as 3.6 GPa. Attempts were made to explain the changes at 0.6 GPa by reorientation of grain/grain boundaries due to uniaxial stress generated on the application of pressure. Similarly variation at 3.6 GPa can be explained by orthorhombic to monoclinic transition.     

High-pressure phases of thorium and uranium compounds with the rocksalt structure

Abstract

The high-pressure crystal structures of the actinide compounds ThX and UX (X= C, N, P, S, As, Se, Sb, Te) have been studied by X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation, in the pressure range up to about 60 GPa Distorted fcc structures were observed for UC (27 GPa), UN (29 GPa), UP (10/28 GPa), US (10 GPa) and ThS (20 GPa). No phase transition has been observed for ThC and ThN. Compounds with As, Se, Sb all transform to the CsCl structure. ThP transform to the CsCl structure at 30 GPa. ThTe has the CsCl structure at ambient pressure and no further phase transition has been observed. UTe transforms to the CsCl structure at 9 GPa.     

TiC-MgO composite: an X-ray transparent and machinable heating element in a multi-anvil high pressure apparatus

ABSTRACT

TiC-MgO composite was developed as a heating element for X-ray study in the multi-anvil high pressure apparatus. We synthesized TiC-MgO blocks (50–70 wt.% of TiC) by compression in a cold isostatic press followed by baking in a gas flow furnace. Heaters of tubular shape were manufactured from the synthesized blocks either by lathe or numerically controlled milling machine. The so-produced heating elements have been proved to generate temperatures up to 2250?K at 10?GPa, condition where classical graphite heaters are not suitable anymore due to graphite-diamond transition. These new heaters have been successfully used for in situ X-ray radiography and diffraction measurements on liquid Fe alloys, exploiting excellent X-ray transparency.     

Effect of pressure on structure and fluorescence of SrFCL: Sm2+

Abstract

Lattice parameters of SrFCl have been measured by powder x-ray diffraction up to 38 GPa. Furthermore, energy levels and crystal field parameters of Sm²⁺ in SrFCl have been determined from fluorescence spectra at 100 K under pressures up to 10 GPa.     

Pressure-induced melting of charge-order in the self-doped mott insulator yttrium nickelate

The stability under pressure of the charge-density-wave in the insulating phase of YNiO₃ was studied by infrared spectroscopy and synchrotron diffraction techniques up to 23 GPa. YNiO₃ undergoes a pressure induced insulator-to-metal transition at approximately 15 GPa in the pressure domain, coinciding with the melting of the charge ordered phase. The optical band gap is non-zero above 15 GPa, as is the case above the reported insulator-metal transition (585 K) in the temperature-domain. There is a similarity between the infrared spectral profile around 15 GPa and the infrared spectral profile above ca. 700 K. We conclude therefore that the pressure-induced structural/electronic transition induced around 15 GPa, probably having an as-yet unreported counterpart in the temperature domain at a temperature in excess of 585 K.