Deformation characteristics of rolled zirconium alloys: a study by X-ray diffraction line profile analysis

Different techniques of the X-ray diffraction line profile analysis (XRDLPA) have been used to study the microstructural parameters of the heavily deformed solid polycrystalline Zircaloy-2 and Zr-2.5%Nb alloys. The domain size, microstrain within the domain, dislocation density and the stacking fault probabilities have been estimated by the Simplified Breadth Method, Williamson-Hall technique and the Modified Rietveld Method. A clear signature of the anisotropy in the domain shape was revealed. The domain size (D{sub e}) was quantified along the different crystallographic directions. In these deformed alloys, the dislocation density ({rho}{sub e}) was of the order of 10{sup 15} m{sup -2} but the stacking fault probabilities were almost negligible. For the first time, we could establish an empirical relationship between D{sub e} and ({rho}e)-12 for these hexagonal closed packed alloys.