Research On Materials Subjected To High Pressures

The study of materials under high pressure is a revolutionary topic, for the scientific and engineering community today. Different experimental approaches provide relevant information, in order to observe changes and transitions in the molecular structure of samples. Improvements on high pressure devices such as the diamond anvil cell, has boosted the research activities around the World the last decades. It is possible to generate pressures up to 20 GPa with this apparatus. The application of certain characterization techniques (x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy for example), as well as the combination of high pressure with complementary parameters (variable temperature for example), makes possible to execute experiments on specimens under extreme conditions. This article explains the basic theory about high pressure science. Information and concepts regarding diamond anvil cells, experimental techniques and typical characterization methods is reviewed. In addition, applications of this technology are explained in different areas. Hydrogen and energy storage materials and simulations of geological material are examples where this field has made substantial achievements.