Uniaxial Compression and its Application to Physics Study

Abstract

History and the technique of the uniaxial compression (stress or strain method) are described. Stress method allows expansion along the two other directions, while the strain method does not. Traditional pressure cell (clamp type for example) can be used for strain method. The important points in the method of uniaxial compression are i) how the chemical reaction between the medium and the sample is avoided and ii) the temperature and pressure of the solidification of the medium. The second point is very important to obtain either ideal hydrostatic or uniaxial pressure. In this respect, even the conventional pressure medium such as Daphne7373 and Fluorinert 70:77 should be reconsidered depending of the pressure and temperature range. At the end, we noted some example of physics phenomena, which are enhanced by uniaxial compression compared with hydrostatic pressure, or which are not realized by hydrostatic pressure but only by uniaxial compression.