Machining and Commercialising Diamond Anvil Cells

ended

"The diamond anvil cell (DAC), a simple but versatile device, is the standard method of experimentally producing static high pressures. It consists of two movable parts containing opposing diamond ""anvils"" with a sample compressed between the polished culets (tips) and held by a metal gasket. We are able to build DACs in the Mechanical Workshop at our institution. During the ERC-Hecate project we have developed many new innovations on making and using DACs. Several groups around the world have expressed interest in using DACs made in Edinburgh. The PoC grant will examine whether this presents a viable commercial opportunity. We will manufacture demonstration DACs which can be trialled by our collaborators for acceptable cost, ease of use, reliability and performance. Different designs are optimised for different purposes, and we need to know more about other groups' usage patterns. Feedback from this process, particularly of failure rates and modes, will enable us to refine and tailor the designs. We anticipate a worldwide growth in the use of high pressure science as it moves from the specialism of a handful of leading labs to a standard method of chemical analysis and materials synthesis. The DACs required for such routine use may be different from those we use to reach the highest pressures with highly reactive materials. Moreover, new experimental applications like high temperature, NMR and magnetic measurements may require additional innovations. The PoC grant will allow us to assess this future market, both for size and specification. We have no experience of commercialisation and marketing, so another essential aspect will be to bring these skills into the Hecate research team. We have identified China as the largest potential market where scientists lack the design and machining skill to make their own, and are currently looking to buy high-specfication DACs."