The NIST SANS hydraulic pressure cell is made of a stainless steel body and uses two sapphire windows to confine the sample. It has a cylindrical shape with 3.70" length and 3.0" diameter. It can be used to pressurize polymer melt mixtures in a wafer form (blends and copolymers confined by an encapsulated o-ring) or soft macromolecular fluids (solutions, micellar systems). The second generation pressure cell can reach pressures of 3 kbar (45,000 psi) and temperatures from ambient to 170 C (heating cartridge) or -15 C to 90 C (cooling jacket). Both pressure and temperature are computer-controlled. Pressure scans (at constant) temperature can be performed. Pressure control is through a dedicated PC that handshakes with the data acquisition computer. Polymer samples are first melt pressed into the following dimensions: 1 mm thickness and 12.3 mm diameter. The pressure cell is also used to pressurize flowing liquids though the use of a separator (high pressure tubing containing a piston between the pressurizing fluid and the sample). When liquid samples are used, a volume of 15 ml is needed. The pressurizing fluid used is water.The pressure cell is compact enough to fit inside the sample chamber.
The SANS Pressure Cell Assembly Notes
Recent publications that used the NIST Pressure Cell:
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Last modified 12-July-2007