The inversion of relative shear rigidity in different material classes at megabar pressures

The behaviour of elastic moduli of substances is analysed in the megabar pressure range. A new effect - inversion of the shear moduli and mechanical properties upon compression - is predicted for various classes of substances. The melting-curve data for different materials confirm the predicted phenomenon. The materials traditionally considered the softest, such as rare-gas solids and molecular substances, may become the hardest in the megabar range. This should be taken into account in developing experimental high-pressure techniques