X-ray diffraction study of crystallographic texture in zircaloy cladding tube, pressure tube and calandria tube of PHWR

XRD patterns were recorded on samples taken from three well defined directions in fuel cladding tubes, calandria tube and pressure tubes used in Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR). Texture coefficients were determined from the XRD pattern for relevant reflections such as reflection from basal plane (0002), prismatic plane (1010) and pyramidal plane (1012). Results showed presence of crystallographic texture in all components but the type and extent of texture was different in different components. The basal poles in the fuel cladding tube are predominantly aligned along the radial direction in the tube. In the pressure tubes the basal poles are distributed in radial and tangential direction and texture coefficient in tangential direction is 2 - 2.5 times that in the radial direction. (author)