In situ x-ray diffraction of fast compressed iron: Analysis of strains and stress under non-hydrostatic pressure

Series of high-pressure x-ray diffraction patterns of iron and its high-pressure polymorphs were collected with 0.1-0.2-s exposure time utilizing a membrane diamond anvil cell (DAC) for compression at various loading and unloading rates to a maximum pressure of 70 GPa. Strain rates of 10(-2) s(-1) at a maximum pressurization rate of 4.1 GPa/s were achieved in non-hydrostatic compression of hcp Fe. Linewidth analysis was used to retrieve strain and uniaxial stress of Fe as a function of pressure upon both compression and decompression. Analysis of the lattice parameters ratio c/a of hcp Fe indicates the presence of complex non-hydrostatic stress states, which developed as a function of strain rate, relaxation time, and various levels of hydrostaticity. Our results emphasize the importance of a controlled pressurization in DACs because the experimental loading rate strongly influences the stress state of the sample, particularly on decompression. Our time-resolved x-ray diffraction of the phase transition from bcc Fe to hcp Fe reveals residual grains of bcc Fe capable of surviving to very high pressures (> 35 GPa) for a few minutes after the transition.