Reflections on the Development of the "f" Texture Factors for Zirconium Components and the Establishment of Properties of the Zirconium-Hydrogen System

Results of work performed mostly by this author at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in the period from the 1950s through 1976 are combined with the notable work of many others in the field to illustrate some of the metallurgical properties important to the safety and reliability of reactor core components of zirconium and its alloys. As implied by the title, this paper is not a review article but a personal recollection of why the work in published papers by this author was started and includes the challenges and some early problems and fortunate decisions to provide historical context to this document.