A cylinder-piston high-pressure apparatus with a useful volume of simi
lar to 10 cm(3) is described. The maximum pressure under the piston fo
r a solid compressed medium is similar to 4.5 GPa. The pressure and te
mperature are controlled with a computer and CAMAC system. The thermob
aric analysis is discussed. The experimental results presented give no
evidence of the existence of volume effects in liquid Bi.