STATIC HIGH-PRESSURE DIAMOND-ANVIL STUDIES ON URANIUM TO 50 GPA

The sample is depleted uranium 238 of 99. 95 plus purity, rolled into a 0. 127-mm-thick foil. A diamond-anvil apparatus similar to that designed by H. K. Mao and P. M. Bell was used. In some runs, along with nickel, a small ruby chip was also loaded into the cell as a pressure indicator. The authors believe the pressure determinations are accurate to 5-10 kilobars. X-ray diffraction data for the sample were obtained with MoK alpha high intensity x radiation with a Zr filter. The diffraction patterns obtained typically had 6-8 resolved lines due to alpha uranium. Values of the lattice constants were determined through least-squares analysis. The standard deviation in volume compression was typically about 0. 7%.