Strength and elasticity of SiO2 across the stishovite-CaCl2-type structural phase boundary.

Radial x-ray diffraction experiments were conducted under nonhydrostatic compression on SiO2 to 60 GPa in a diamond anvil cell. This ratio of differential stress to shear modulus t/G is 0.019(3)-0.037(5) at P=15-60 GPa. The ratio for octahedrally coordinated stishovite is lower by a factor of about 2 than observed in four-coordinated silicates. Using a theoretical model for the shear modulus, the differential stress of stishovite is found to be 4.5(1.5) GPa below 40 GPa and to decrease sharply as the stishovite-CaCl2-type phase transition boundary is approached. Inversion of measured lattice strains provides direct experimental evidence for softening of C11-C12.