Annealing related microstructural developments in a two-phase ZR-2.5 NB alloy

Deformed/pilgered two-phase, 10-15% cubic second phase - rest being primary hexagonal phase, Zr-2.5 Nb alloy was subjected to various annealing treatments treatments ranging from recovery to recrystallization and grain growth. Associated microstructural developments were monitored through combinations of characterization techniques - bulk crystallographic texture & microtexture measurements and estimations of lattice strain and residual stress. Significant texture changes were associated only with grain growth of the primary phase - a process facilitated by second phase coarsening. From nearly continuous presence at the primary phase grain boundaries, latter stages of grain growth had shown coarsened second phase present only at the tri-junctions. This process was associated with significant changes in phase-boundary nature. An effort was made to explain such changes from an 'extended', i. e. extended to phase boundaries, CSL (coincident site lattice) theory