Strength of tantalum to 276 GPa determined by two x-ray diffraction techniques using diamond anvil cells

Tantalum (Ta) is a metal that has useful properties that make it useful in extreme environments. It is, therefore, important to understand how Ta performs in such extreme conditions by accurately measuring its properties. In this work, the yield strength of tantalum has been measured at pressures up to 276 GPa using axial and radial x-ray diffraction (XRD) methods in diamond anvil cells (DACs). We measured strength using XRD in a radial DAC to 50 GPa, in an axial DAC to 60 GPa using diamonds with standard flat culets, and in a final experiment to 276 GPa using toroidal diamond anvils. The radial XRD data were refined using the Material Analysis Using Diffraction Rietveld software package to extract lattice strain and the yield strength. The axial data were refined using the General Structure Analysis System II and a linewidth method was used to calculate the yield strength. The yield strength measured near ambient pressure was found to be 0.5 GPa and increased with a pressure of up to 50 GPa, where the yield strength plateaued at a value of 2.4 GPa. At pressures above 60 GPa, the strength increased again to a maximum value of 9 GPa at the highest pressure of 276 GPa. The data from the three experiments show good agreement between the methods and previously reported experimental data. This agreement illustrates the value of axial diffraction data for material strength determination and allows for measurements at multi-hundreds of GPa using toroidal DACs.