Seven batches of Zircaloy-2 tubing with widely different textures were processed from tube shells of the same size, by different reduction routes using pilger and 3-roll mills. Based on the texture data of these tubes, the texture control of Zircaloy tubing, the texture gradient across the wall, and the texture change during annealing were studied.

The quantitative relationship between the texture parameter and the newly proposed strain ratio parameter was established using empirical equations in the case of both as-rolled and full-annealed tubing. The deformation texture of Zircaloy-2 tubing was dependent on the tool's curvature and was independent of the dimensions of the mother tubes. The different slopes of texture gradients were observed between the tubing of higher strain ratio and that of lower strain ratio. Also, the different types of the basal pole shift during annealing in the α temperature range were observed in the tested tubes.