A summary of the Paris-Edinburgh (PE) presses we currently use at the ISIS Facility can be found below. The presses are operated either with oil, pentanes, or helium as the working fluid, depending on the temperature range you are working over, and the type of press being used. We have automatic systems (SECI/IBEX controlled) for oil and pentanes which can operate up to a maximum pressure of 1 kbar (cell pressure). To generate cell pressures beyond this, or to use helium as the working fluid, the cells must be operated manually. The resulting sample pressure will depend on the types of anvils/gaskets/inserts and properties of the sample being used with the press.

Full details on the types of anvils, inserts, and temperature capabilities used with these presses are listed on the PEARL sample environment page.

If you have any questions about using the Paris-Edinburgh press at the ISIS Facility or think you may want to use some of this equipment during your experiment then please contact a PEARL instrument scientist.

The presses are, by default, compatible with the PEARL instrument (the dedicated neutron powder diffraction instrument), however they may be suitable for measurements on other instruments at ISIS, depending on the measurement in question. The VX-type presses are frequently used on WISH, and have also been used on SXD. If you have any queries regarding the suitability of the press being used for your measurement, please discuss this with the instrument scientist.