| The dislocation density and the composition of the β-Zr phase in Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes were determined using a X-ray diffractometer and TEM. Through Fourier analysis of diffraction line profiles of {11-20}, {10-10} and {0001} planes, the coherent block size and the lattice strain energy were evaluated. Using those values, then, the a-and c-type dislocation densities were determined for an unirradiated Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube, which were consistent with the independently measured values for the same specimen using the AECL`s own method. TEM analysis showed that the a- and c-type dislocation densities in the Zr-2.5Nb tube are 4.0×10 exp (14) m^-2 and 0.97×10 exp (14) m^-2, respectively, which could not be compared directly with the dislocation densities determined by an X-ray analysis. The Nb content of the β-Zr phase was determined using an X-ray from a change in the interplanar spacing of the {100} planes, which agrees well with that determined by TEM using the carbon replica method. |
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