Overview of Services

The ASU High Pressure Facility is part of OKED's Eyring Materials Center.  The laboratory has specialized equipment for treating a variety of samples under high pressure and temperature conditions. For many chemical compounds, this pressure treatment creates unique, dense forms that are otherwise unattainable. The best-known application of simultaneous high pressure and temperature is in the production of synthetic diamonds. In our laboratory, we can make diamonds, but we can also reach pressures up to five times higher than the pressure that is normally used to make diamonds. With this capability, we can perform a wide variety of novel research using high pressures.

Our current equipment includes two working non-end-loaded piston cylinder devices, used for pressures from 500 MPa (5 kilobars) to 2000 MPa (2 GPa).  Temperatures can be up to 1200 °C or somewhat higher and sample sizes are on the order of several millimeters.  In addition, we have two multi-anvils for attaining pressures between 3 GPa and 25 GPa and temperatures up to 2319 °C.  The conditions vary depending on many factors, so please consult the laboratory managers for advice on a particular experiment.

Many of the experiments we perform in our presses are "cook and look;" in other words, we subject the samples to high pressure and temperature, but we can examine them only after the pressure is released. Typical methods used to examine the high-pressure products include x-ray diffraction, electron probe microanalysis, and transmission electron microscopy, all of which are available in other facilities at ASU. Typical sample sizes are in the millimeter range. We also have equipment for measuring electrical conductivity and impedance on samples while they are subjected to high pressure and temperature.

Leadership

Location and hours of operation

Links and Resources

1. ASU Homepage
2. Instruction manual for 10/5 assembly

For information on For-Profit rates, contact the core manager.

Contacts