Strength and structural phase transitions of gadolinium at high pressure from radial X-ray diffraction

Abstract

Lattice strength and structural phase transitions of gadolinium (Gd) were determined under nonhydrostatic compression up to 55 GPa using an angle-dispersive radial x-ray diffraction technique in a diamond-anvil cell at room temperature. Three new phases of fcc structure, dfcc structure, and new monoclinic structure were observed at 25 GPa, 34 GPa, and 53 GPa, respectively. The radial x-ray diffraction data yield a bulk modulus K0 = 36(1) GPa with its pressure derivate K0′ = 3.8(1) at the azimuthal angle between the diamond cell loading axis and the diffraction plane normal and diffraction plane ψ = 54.7°. With K0′ fixed at 4, the derived K0 is 34(1) GPa. In addition, analysis of diffraction data with lattice strain theory indicates that the ratio of differential stress to shear modulus (t/G) ranges from 0.011 to 0.014 at pressures of 12–55 GPa. Together with estimated high-pressure shear moduli, our results show that Gd can support a maximum differential stress of 0.41 GPa, while it starts to yield to plastic deformation at 16 GPa under uniaxial compression. The yield strength of Gd remains approximately a constant with increasing pressure, and reaches 0.46 GPa at 55 GPa.