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

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 (De) was quantified along the different crystallographic directions. In these deformed alloys, the dislocation density (ρe) was of the order of 1015 m−2 but the stacking fault probabilities were almost negligible. For the first time, we could establish an empirical relationship between De and image for these hexagonal closed packed alloys.