Scheelite CaWO₄ at high pressures

The high-pressure room-temperature behaviour of scheelite CaWO₄ (I4₁/a,Z = 4) is studied using high-resolution synchrotron angle-dispersive x-ray powder diffraction in diamond anvil cells loaded with helium or a mixture of methanol and ethanol as the pressure-transmitting media. At about 10 GPa, there occurs a phase transition to the fergusonite type (I 2/a,Z = 4) without any discontinuity in the pressure dependence of the unit cell volumes. These observations are discussed in relation to the high-pressure–high-temperature systematics of the AMX₄ and AX₂ type compounds.