In this study, we investigate the effects of austempering heat treatment on the processing window and mechanical properties in cast and hot-rolled Fe-0.7 C-2.3 Si-0.3 Mn steel. Each specimens were austenitised at $900^{\circ}C$ for 7 min, and austempered at $260^{\circ}C,\;320^{\circ}C$, and $380^{\circ}C$ for the various periods of time from 2 min to 240 min. After heat treatment, the evaluation of stage I and stage II as performed by optical metallography, XRD, hardness test. Both cast and hot rolled specimens had similar processing window. So grain size effect is not important to the austempered high carbon high silicon cast steel. When the austempering temperature was $260^{\circ}C$, the microstructure consisted of the lower ausferrite while the upper ausferrite structure was formed at $380^{\circ}C$. As the austempering temperature increases from 260 to $380^{\circ}C$, the strength and hardness decreased, elongaton and volume fraction of austenite increased. In addition, there was no change of mechanical properties between cast and hot-rolled specimens.

The effects of alloying elements on the mechanical properties of normalized and quenched 3.60wt%C-2.60wt%C ductile cast iron poured into shell stack mold were investigated. The strength and hardness of as-cast specimen were increased and the elongation of it was decreased with the additions of Mn, Cu and Sn. The strength and hardness were increased with the addition of 0.40wt%Mo and then rather decreased with the increased addition of 0.80wt%. The strength and hardness were increased with normalizing treatment and the strengths of normalized specimens were increased slightly with the addition of alloying elements except Mo. Meanwhile the yield strength of the normalized specimen was increased slightly with the addition of Mo, the tensile strength was not changed much. Meanwhile the hardness and strength of the quenched specimen were slightly increased with the addition of Mn, those were almost not changed with the amount added. The tensile strength of the quenched specimen with larger diameter, when the Cu had been added, and the tensile and yield strengths of them, when Mo had been added, were increased with the addition of alloying element. On the other hand, those were not changed with the amount added. For the case of specimen with smaller diameter, there were no effects of these two elements. When Sn had been added, the strength of hardened specimen with larger diameter was slightly increased with the amount added. However, that with smaller diameter was rather decreased with it. The effect of specimen diameter on the strength of quenched specimen with the addition of Cu, Mo and Sn was reduced.

Effect of reaction time and sludge formation on the thickness of die soldering reaction layer has been studied in Al-9Si-0.3Mg casting alloy. Ternary ${\alpha}_{bcc}-Al_8Fe_2Si$ and ${\alpha}_{hcp}-Al_8Fe_2Si$ intermetallic compounds formed at the interface of SKD61 tool steel by interaction diffusion of Al, Fe and Si atoms after 0.5hr and 6hr immersion time, respectively. Binary ${\eta}-Fe_2Al_5$ additionally formed at the interface of SKD61 tool steel after 10hr immersion time. Thickness of soldering reaction layer in die surface increased as immersion time increased from 0.5hr to 24hr. Sludge formation was ascertained in the samples which were immersed in the melts more than 10hr. Reaction of die soldering after sludge formation was more accelerated than that of before sludge formation due to a decrease in Fe content, followed by higher diffusion rate of Al in the melt by sludge formation.

Bulk amorphous alloys with reasonable glass forming ability and large plasticity were found in Zr-Cu-Al alloys. Further increase in the GFA and the ductility is expected by appropriately choosing a fourth element. In this study, we select Be as the fourth element and added to the Zr-Cu-Al system to synthesize $(Zr_{57.4}Cu_{38.1}Al_{4.5})_{100-x}Be_x$(x=0~16) alloys and the glass forming ability and the plasticity were measured. With Be addition, the supercooled liquid region (${\Delta}T_x$), the plasticity and GFA as high as $134^{\circ}C$, 20.5%, 7 mm, respectively, can be obtained. Herein, we present the effect of Be addition on the variations of various mechanical properties and thermal characteristics of the $(Zr_{57.4}Cu_{38.1}Al_{4.5})_{100-x}Be_x$ alloys.