Characteristics of silicone fluid as a pressure transmitting medium in diamond anvil cells

The properties of a silicone fluid with initial viscosity of 1 cst as a pressure transmitting medium for diamond anvil cells have been determined by ruby R-1 line broadening and R-1-R-2 separation measurements to 64 GPa at ambient temperature. By these criteria, the silicone fluid is as good a pressure medium as a 4:1 methanol:ethanol mixture at low pressures to about 20 GPa, and is better than the mixture at higher pressures. Although argon media are better than the silicone at pressures to 30 GPa, this silicone behaves as well as argon at higher pressures. Furthermore, the silicone is easier to load than argon and is almost chemically inert. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.