Strength and structural phase transitions of gadolinium at high pressure from radial X-ray diffraction
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 K{sub 0} = 36(1) GPa with its pressure derivate K{sub 0}′ = 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 K{sub 0}′ fixed at 4, the derived K{sub 0} 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.