SPECIFICATIONS
OPERATING CONDITIONS
- Pressure range from 0.3 to 4.0 GPa * with a precision of +0.03 GPa
- Temperature range from 25 to 2000°C with +15°C gradients over the sample
- Maximum quench rates of 300°C/second
- Controlled heating and cooling rates
- Sample volume of 150 mm3 for runs using 13mm ID pressure plate up to 2.5 GPa
- Sample volume of 500 mm3 for runs using 19mm ID pressure plate up to 1.0 GPa
- Sample volume of 90 mm3 for runs using 10mm ID pressure plate up to 4.0 GPa
- Sample volume of 800 mm3 for runs using 25mm ID pressure plate up to 0.5 GPa
- Run durations of a few minutes to several months
- 1 kilobar (kbar) = 100 Megapascals (MPa) = 0.1 Gigapascals (GPa) = 14,500 psi = 987 atmospheres
OPERATING COSTS
A periodic expense encountered in high-pressure experimentation is replacement of the tungsten carbide core in the pressure cylinder. In a poorly-understood, non-linear way, core life is inversely proportional to pressure. Core life is often very long at 1.0-1.5 GPa, but relatively short (20 to 50 runs), at 4.0 GPa. However, cores have retained coherency for more than 100 runs at 2.5 GPa. Repair and reconditioning of pressure-plate cores is possible.
Routine experimentation costs include the material costs of furnace assembly parts per experiment which typically ranges from $75 to $175, depending in the type of thermocouple wire and sample capsule employed.
LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS
- 35 amps, 210 VAC electrical power on a single phase, dedicated line
- Cooling-water flow-rate of 1 L/min at a pressure of 30 psi (2 bars).
- Water temperature < 10 °C