The 200 kilobar total is equal to 200,000 times the normal atmospheric pressure found at sea level. A third multi-anvil device is nearing completion. Each multi-anvil device consists of a series of containers within containers. The outer containers are made of machined steel or carbide wedges. When assembled, the wedges form an octahedral space in the center.
Researchers place samples inside a drilled ceramic holder which fits inside the octahedral hole.
Force exerted on the outer container moves the wedges to constrict the volume of the hole. The reduction in surface area between each successive layer serves to multiply the pressure applied to the sample. Some multi-anvil devices can generate more than 300 kilobars of pressure. McMillan credits group member John Holloway, a professor of chemistry and geology, with the new design. ASU researchers use the multi-anvil press to produce sample materials in amounts of only tens of milligrams, which is much to little for industrial purposes.