Al-Cr alloy with composition in the range from 1.5 wt% to 10 wt% Cr were rapidly solidified from the melt by the single roller method. The supersaturated solid solution was obtained up to 6 wt% Cr in Al-Cr alloy for $20{\mu}m$ thickness. Lattice parameter decreased with increasing Cr content at the rate of 0.00456A per wt% Cr up to 6 wt% Cr. Microhardness increased with increasing Cr content at the rate of $10\;Kg/mm^2$ per wt% Cr up to 6 wt% Cr. Microhardness measurements on the Al-6 wt% Cr supersaturated solid solution annealed isothermally showed no sign of age hardening. Decomposition temperature, determined by lattice parameter changes and microhardness changes, was $470^{\circ}C$ for Al-6 wt% Cr supersaturated solid solution. Transmission electron microscopy showed that decomposition within one hour below $400^{\circ}C$ occurred at grain boundaries only, and also the additional decomposition within grains being evident at $450^{\circ}C$ The coarse precipitate structure showed at $500^{\circ}C$ and $550^{\circ}C$, respectively. The coarse precipitate structure is considered $Al_7Cr$.

In order to determine the plane strain fracture toughness of Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloy castings, solution heat treatments have been conducted at $530^{\circ}C$ for 8hr and aged for 10hr at $145^{\circ}C$, $160^{\circ}C$ and $175^{\circ}C$. Effects of aging treatment and of Si contents on the fracture toughness have been investigated by a three point loaded bend test, using the artificial notch. The results obtained are as follows; 1) The fracture toughness is appreciably affected by the aging treatment temperature and Si contents. The specimen aged for 10hr at $145^{\circ}C$ has the highest fracture toughness. 2) Increasing Si contents from 5% to 9% results in decrease of fracture toughness. 3) Increasing the aging temperature and Si contents, C.O.D. value was decreased. The specimen aged for 10hr at $145^{\circ}C$ has the highest C.O.D. value. 4) Dimple patterns were observed in the specimens of containing under 7% Si, while mixed cleavage-dimple patterns in those of over 8% Si.

Full mold casting process is a new technique offering numerous advantages and promising possibilities. The present study is aimed to bring out the results of experiments carried out to study the effect of pattern coatings on the solidification of 99.5% pure aluminum plate-shaped castings in the various sand molds and the thermal behavior of the molds. The results of the investigation indicate that (i) with increase in pattern coating thickness, the relative chilling power decreases gradually for silica and increases for zircon coating, and (ii) the application of a pattern coating significantly reduces the maximum interface temperature by the mold which is more pronounced in the case of thinner mold wall. The investigation also indicates that Chvorinov's rule is not found to be valid for the casting in the full mold, with or without pattern coating. Therefore in full mold process, the pattern coating thickness will be a very important parameter in the study of thermal behavior.

The evolution of microstructures in two rapidly solidfied niobium microalloyed steels was studied. These alloys were rapidly solidified by two powder process techniques: nitrogen gas atomization and centrifugal atomization. It was found that in both powder processes, powder particles larger than $20{\mu}m$in diameter were martensitic, and that the nitrogen gas atomized particles solidified cellularly while those that were centrifugally atomized tended to solidify dendritically. Particles smaller than $1{\mu}m$ were not completely characterized because of wide variation in composition.