Elevated pressures are encountered in many metal forming processes that can
alter microstructural evolution rates. Here we measure rate changes with
pressure in recrystallization and grain growth in Fe through adaptation of
synchrotron-compatible multi-anvil presses, originally designed for study of
the mantle. Recrystallization and grain growth are monitored in situ using
high-energy X-ray diffraction. Principal component analysis applied to the
diffraction images is used to quantify evolution rates, with increasing
pressure significantly slowing the process