The large volume press facility at ID06 beamline of the European synchrotron radiation facility as a High Pressure-High Temperature deformation apparatus

We report here the newly developed deformation setup offered by the 20MN (2000T) multi-anvil press newly installed at sector 7 of the European synchrotron radiation facility, on the ID06 beamline. The press is a Deformation-DIA (D-DIA) type apparatus, and different sets of primary anvils can be used for deformation experiments, from 6 mm to 3 mm truncations, according to the target pressure needed. Pressure and temperature calibrations and gradients show that the central zone of the assemblies is stable. Positions of differential RAMs are controlled with a sub-micron precision allowing strain rate from 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻⁶ s⁻¹. Moreover, changing differential RAM velocity is immediately visible on sample, making faster reaching of steady state. Lattice stresses are determined by the shifting of diffraction peak with azimuth angle using a linear detector covering typically a 10° solid-angle in 2θ mounted on rotation perpendicular to the beam. Acquisition of diffraction pattern, at a typical energy of 55 keV, is less than a minute to cover the whole azimuth-2θ space. Azimuth and d-spacing resolution are respectively better than 1° and 10⁻³ Å making it possible to quantify lattice stresses with a precision of ±20 MPa (for silicates, which have typically high values of elastic properties), in pure or simple shear deformation measurements. These mechanical data are used to build fully constrained flow laws by varying P-T-$σ− ε ̇$ conditions with the aim to better understanding the rheology of Earth’s mantle. Finally, through texture analysis, it is also possible to determine lattice preferred orientation during deformation by quantifying diffraction peak intensity variation with azimuth angle. This press is therefore included as one of the few apparatus that can perform such experiments combining with synchrotron radiation.