Scanning acoustic microscopy study of superhard C-60-based polimerized fullerites

Ultrahard and superhard fullerites are a new class of the carbon materials produced recently by bulk polymerization of C-60 and C-70 fullerenes under high-pressure-high-temperature treatment. We applied the acoustic microscop y technique to measuring longitudinal and shear sound velocities and determ inating elastic constants of the super- and ultra-hard polimerized fullerit es. Bulk elastic modulus of ultrahard fullerites is essentially higher than diamond's one, while the shear modulus and the Young modulus are less. The acoustic microscopy images reflected microstructure of fullerite speciment s were obtained.