Thermal residual strains in depleted α-U

Lattice strains induced by cooling textured, depleted U, from 500 °C to ambient temperature are measured using in situ neutron diffraction and simulated using an elastoplastic self-consistent polycrystal model. The results show that the high anisotropy of the single-crystal thermoelastic response induces thermal stresses sufficient to cause plastic relaxation. Incorporation of ½〈11¯0〉{110} slip enables modeling of the observed internal strain evolution, although diffusional effects may also contribute to the observed relaxation.