The purpose of this study is to increase the part recovery rate (to more than 70%) during the casting of a ductile cast iron turbo charger housing using a heater around the riser. Before creating a casting mold, various runner and riser systems were designed and analyzed with a casting simulation analysis tool. The design variables were the heater temperature, top insulation, riser location, riser diameter and the riser shape. During the feeding from the riser to the part, the reverse model was better than the forward model. When heating the riser (above $600^{\circ}C$), solidification of the riser was delayed and the feeding effect was suitable compared to that without heating. At a higher heating temperature, less solidification shrinkage and porosity were noted inside the part. On the basis of a casting simulation, eight molds were fabricated and casting experiments were conducted. According to the experimental conditions, external and internal defects were analyzed and mechanical properties were tested. The ultimate tensile strength and elongation outcome were correspondingly more than 540MPa and 5% after a heat treatment. In addition, a maximum part recovery rate of 86% was achieved in this study.

The microstructure, electrical conductivity and hardness variation of an AZ91-5wt%Sn Mg alloy sample during a solid-solution and aging heat treatment were instigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and by Rockwell hardness techniques in this study. The XRD result shows that the main phases in the as-casted alloy are ${\alpha}$-Mg, $Mg_{17}Al_{12}$ and $Mg_2Sn$. From the SEM images of the AZ91-5wt%Sn Mg alloy after the solution treatment, the $Mg_{17}Al_{12}$ phases in the alloy were found to have dissolved into the matrix with an increase in the holding time during the solution treatment, but $Mg_2Sn$ phases were clearly observable. The highest peak hardness of the AZ91-5wt%Sn Mg alloy is 82HRE at an aging temperature of $200^{\circ}C$.

The effects of W content and heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Hastelloy C-276 alloy investment castings were discussed. As the W content was increased, dendritic microstructure was refined and network type precipitate formed during solidification was distributed on the dendritic grain boundaries. Cr, Fe and Mn were highly segregated in the Ni-based dendrite matrix, and Mo, W, C and Si were in the precipitates. Due to the heat treatment, fine granular and flake precipitates were newly formed in the matrix, and unresolved network type precipitates remained on the grain boundary. The network type precipitates and the granular and flake precipitates formed by heat treatment were confirmed to be ${\mu}$ phase intermetallic compounds with similar compositions. Due to the increase of the W content and the heat treatment, hardness and tensile strength were significantly increased. However, tensile strength after aging treatment was decreased with the W content. These results can be explained in that brittle fracturing by the unresolved network type precipitates dispersed in the grain boundary was predominant over ductile fracturing by the dimple ruptures originating from the fine granular precipitates in the matrix.