Phase transition of sulfur during continuous impact loading-unloading process

Raman spectra of sulfur at a rapid unloading rate were obtained through a continuous impact loading-unloading process. In the process, we find that the values of the relative area ratios Av1, v2/Av3 (v1 is the peak at 156 cm-1, v2 at 217 cm-1 and v3 at 475 cm-1) are discontinuous with increasing pressure. The breakpoint is around 1.41 GPa, showing that a phase transition is likely to occur around this pressure. At the same time, when the pressure is higher to 5.45 GPa, the amortization of sulfur was detected, accompanied by a spectrum with the light absorption characteristic. This phenomenon is thought to be a unique amorphization phenomenon under impact loading.