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Zirconium alloys, which are widely used for fuel component cladding materials in reactors, are among the most difficult materials to prepare scanning electron microscopy samples for electron backscatter diffraction characterization. Our work investigates the suitability of ion polishing process method for hydride-containing Zr-based alloys. Conventional Zr-4 alloy and a new Zr-Sn-Nb system zirconium alloy were used as test objects, and the results show that the parameter-adjusted ion polishing process can meet the sample requirements. Based on the results, the pole figures were drawn and it was found that there were different hydride orientation relationships in new zirconium alloy from that in Zr-4. In addition, X-ray diffraction phase analysis was performed on the hydrogen-charged samples and the data indicated that the second phase types in new zirconium alloy were ZrCr2 and hexagonal structure ZrFe2 type particles. The study revealed significant differences between the new zirconium alloy and Zr-4 due to compositional differences by analyzing the microstructure of hydrides and second phases
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