X-ray diffraction methods to characterize α zirconium textures - Correlation between certain physical properties and the degree of anisotropy of the material

It was first shown how the geometry of the X-ray beam used affects the defocussing phenomenon inherent to Schulz's method in reflection, and a systematic method of choosing the various adjustment parameters was proposed. Then, the effect of parameters peculiar to the sample (pore structure and surface roughness) on the polar figure outline was considered. From the exact knowledge of the textures and the dispersion, the thermal expansion coefficients of α zirconium along its main axes were established. Comparative tests were carried out on polycrystalline samples and on single crystals and the influence of the grain boundaries was shown. It was possible from Knoop micro-hardness tests on mono or polycrystalline samples to chart the hardness of the material. Finally the existence of local textures in cold-rolled or recrystallized zirconium was shown by means of two oxidizing reagents developed for the purpose. At the same time these fluctuations may be detected by a radio-crystallographic technique applicable moreover to other metals