The Diacell® HeliosDAC Plus has been designed specifically for the high-temperature range up to 1200 K. This DAC is fitted with Boehler-Almax diamond anvils and seats that upgrades the Diacell® HeliosDAC standard opening to a total conical aperture of 85°. It is suitable for both X-ray diffraction  and optical work. The 85° opening is a real advantage for X-ray diffraction experiments, especially for single crystal X-ray diffraction when the DAC often needs to be oscillated at higher angles along the X-ray beam in order to access more reflections.

It has gas-membrane drive, which is particularly suitable for high temperature operation as it is easy to compensate for any pressure changes due to heating.

In the Diacell® HeliosDAC Plus, heat is delivered directly to the gasket using a compact resistive heater that generates about 80 W at the gasket. With this design it is possible to generate heat within the smallest space around the anvils. This in turn avoids use of exotic construction materials and makes high temperature operation of the cell more reliable.

In high temperature operation using resistive heating it is essential to flush the interior of the cell, and all exposed faces of the diamond anvils, with a mildly reducing gas such as the commercially-available argon – 2% hydrogen mixture. This protects both the anvils and the interior of the cell from tarnishing.

A HeliosDAC Plus video presentation available on the Almax easyLab’s YouTube channel.

Applications

There is an increasing demand for DACs that will operate at high temperatures. It is generally agreed that above about 1200 K the only realistic option is laser heating. Such installations are complex and expensive. However, for temperatures of up to 1200 K resistive heating is attractive as it is relatively simple.  Therefore, the Diacell® HeliosDAC Plus is perfect for such application.