The Bridgman anvil technique offers a simple and versatile means of generating very high pressures required in solid state studies. The opposed anvil technique is based on the principle of massive support. The practical case of a gasketted anvil is considered, and an expression for the maximum pressure generated under massive support is derived in terms of the geometric parameters, the strength of the anvil material and the gasket properties. In particular, for a given maximum pressure, it is possible to calculate the taper angle, the taper height and the gasket thickness from this expression. The anvil is assumed to be in the elastic region under load. Good agreement is obtained between the calculated and the experimental values for the massive support factor (msf) for various taper angles. By choosing the proper geometry, it is possible to achieve a pressure as high as 130 kbar in an alloy steel anvil. It has been clearly found that the straight portion, where the taper ends, does not really take any part in changing the stress pattern. Thus the minimum straight portion can serve the purpose, and will result in material saving. Anvils exhibit yielding at very high pressure. It is also pointed out that a further strengthening of the anvil can extend the ultimate pressure. Several methods of further strengthening the anvils are discussed.

A high pressure-high temperature cell which permitsin-situ pressure and temperature calibration is described. The cell is in an opposed anvil configuaration, and houses two samples with four probes each along with a miniature furnace and a thermocouple. The pressure and temperature capability of the cell are 100 kbar and 1000°C respectively. This cell was developed to study the electrical resistivity of metals and alloys at high pressure and high temperature. Bismuth was used to calibrate the cell. We report in this paper the design details and the performance of this cell. Ni has been chosen as a test problem and the observed behaviour is indicated to show the quality of data.

Copper crystals have been grown by Czochralski technique in a 6-bar argon gas environment. X-ray analysis shows that these are single crystals and are strain-free. A slight pressure environment that is truly hydrostatic seems to improve the quality of the crystals. Thermal profile estimation results show that the values of temperature which decrease upto the neck region are same in magnitude as those measured during the experiments and that necking improves the thermal profile and, consequently, the crystal quality. No facet formation has been observed in these crystals.

This paper reports the phase transformation behaviour of tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) under pressure as revealed by AC electrical resistivity, its time evolution and X-ray diffraction studies. An irreversible transformation from monoclinic to cubic phase occurs at 2.1±0.1 GPa and is indicated by a sharp resistivity drop at this pressure. The time evolution of resistivity studies indicate that this transformation occurs via an intermediate phase having resistivity higher than either of the two crystalline phases. Finally, the kinetics of phase transformations obtained by time evolution of resistivity is compared with the X-ray studies on the pressure quenched TCNE.

We report the diamond anvil cell (DAC) high pressure powder X-ray diffraction studies on amorphous selenium (a-Se) under truly hydrostatic pressure condition up to 20 GPa. Amorphous selenium exhibits a sharp and irreversible transition to a hexagonal structure at 10.6 ± 0.1 GPa. It is also known that metallization occurs in a-Se around this pressure. Some plausible arguments are provided to suggest that the amorphous to crystalline transition may be driven by metallization.