Direct observation of the compression behavior of polystyrene microbeads in a diamond anvil cell

The pressure dependence of the bulk modulus of glassy polystyrene (PS) was measured in the relatively high-pressure regime, up to 6 GPa, at ambient temperature. For the measurements, PS microbeads were immersed in a pressure medium consisting of a mixture of methanol and ethanol, and the sample was placed in a diamond anvil cell capable of generating high and hydrostatic pressure. The volume change of the PS beads was observed under an optical microscope. The results demonstrated that the volume change in this study is consistent with an equation of state determined from the earlier studies in the low-pressure range up to 0.2 GPa. The bulk modulus was obtained as the derivative of the microbead volume with respect to pressure, and compared with the earlier data obtained from Brillouin spectroscopy.