Our mission
The mission of the Facility for Open Research in a Compressed Environment is to provide unique facilities for high-pressure research while cultivating a community of users and promoting collaboration across disciplines.
Community Announcement
Because of the current uncertainty in federal funding and the government shutdown, we have decided to cancel our FORCE Winter Workshop for 2026. Instead of a Winter Workshop, we will be co-sponsoring a meeting on mineral physics with SEES (Synchrotron Earth and Environmental Science) in August 2026. More information about this meeting will be available in 2026.
FORCE research
Learn more about the science behind our facility and the equipment that makes it possible.
FORCE newsletter
Join our mailing list to stay updated on the latest news and events at FORCE.
Materials of the Universe
The Navrotsky Eyring Center for Materials of the Universe leads ASU’s research on new materials, extreme conditions and the evolution of planets. Much of the center’s work relies on the equipment at FORCE.
6,000-ton uniaxial multi-anvil press “Ichiban”
Our 6,000-ton press will allow very large samples to be produced for a wide array of measurements and observations that cannot be made on smaller samples. The larger sample volume also allows for more complicated experiments.
- Pressure: 3–25 GPa
- Temperature: ≤ 2,000°C
Manufacturer: Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Cubic DIA multi-anvil press “Jasmine”
Our cubic press will have two major functions. In a single-stage mode: rapid synthesis of large samples from 1–7 GPa, and rapid pressure-temperature studies in the same region. In a double-stage mode: detailed work at > 30 GPa that current large-volume capabilities have not yet reached.
- Pressure:
- ≤ 40 GPa (tungsten carbide cubes)
- ≤ 80 GPa (sintered diamond cubes)
- Temperature: ≤ 2,000°C
Manufacturer: Max Voggenreiter, GmbH
High-pressure torsional press “Twister”
Our high-pressure torsional device will be used to study material behavior and phase transitions caused by strain and will be used to create novel samples for TEM studies of deformational textures, phase transitions, and other phenomena.
- Pressure: ≤ 6 GPa
- Temperature: ≤ 200°C
Manufacturer: Riken Enterprise Co. Ltd.
Internally heated pressure vessel “Nebula”
Our state-of-the art high pressure gas apparatus will be used to synthesize samples for studies of Earth and planetary crustal and upper mantle environments, for preparing starting materials for the larger presses, and for materials science and discovery.
- Pressure: ≤ 600 MPa
- Temperature: ≤ 1,250°C
Manufacturer: Wille Geotechnik
This new national center will bring scientists from around the world to ASU to work with our faculty in aspects of materials science that are as yet entirely unexplored.
Professor Neal Woodbury Vice President of Research and Chief Science and Technology Officer of ASU Knowledge Enterprise
FORCE was funded by the National Science Foundation to establish a new high-pressure facility at Arizona State University.
Grant #2131833. Learn more about this grant.