Improvement of the mechanical properties of a commercial aluminium casting alloy, A356, was achieved through an optimised combination of alloying elements, modification, and heat treatment. 0.7 wt.% Cu and an additional 0.2 wt.% Mg were added to an Al-7Si-0.35Mg alloy for strengthening at both room and elevated temperatures, whilst a subsequent decrease in the ductility was compensated for by the modification of eutectic Si by Sr addition at a level of up to 110 ppm. It was found that the dissolution of Cu-rich or Mg-rich phases could be maximised by solid-solutionising an alloy with 40 ppm Sr at $530^{\circ}C$, increasing the tensile and yield strengths to 350 MPa and 297 MPa, respectively, with a reasonably high strain of 5% after peak-aging at $210^{\circ}C$. Further addition of Sr up to 110 ppm is, however, more likely to interfere with the dissolution of the Cu-rich or Mg-rich phases during solid solution treatment, resulting in a slight decrease in both tensile and yield strengths at room temperature. Besides the Cu addition, such undissolved phases, on the other hand, may contribute to elevated temperature strength at $200^{\circ}C$.

Numerical analysis has been performed to evaluate effect of the shape variables such as core length, slot width and slot length on misrun in aluminum die casting process for motor rotor. The predictive method for misrun in diecasting process was established by comparing the result of numerical analysis and an actual motor rotor. Solidification modulus was introduced to predict quantitatively the castability of aluminum diecasting process for motor rotor. It was found that there are minimum critical solidification modulus and slot width to prevent misrun according to core length through diecasting limit diagram proposed using the predictive method. The critical solidification modulus and slot width increase as core length increases to prevent misrun of aluminum motor rotor in diecasting process. Based on the results, the design criteria of slot shape to prevent misrun of aluminum motor rotor with various core length were established.

Iron based amorphous ribbons with the nominal compositions of $(Fe_{79}C_{11}B_8Si_2)_{100-X}Cr_X$ (X = 0,2,4,6,8 at%) have been developed as reinforcements that can be applied to the concrete materials. Mechanical properties and glass forming ability of the ribbons can be enhanced by the optimum amounts of Cr additions that can also improve corrosion properties of the ribbons. Vein patterns typical of the fractured surface morphology of amorphous alloys have been observed on the surfaces of ribbons after tensile tests. It is inferred from the EDS analysis results of vein patterns that carbon segregations occur within the narrow shear band regions.

CD4MCU duplex stainless steel with gadolinium was fabricated as a neutron absorbing material by the air induction melting method. The gadolinium formed intermetallic compounds of Cu-Gd-Fe. There were no significant differences in hardness or ultimate tensile strength between experimental alloys. With the addition of gadolinium the yield strength of the cast alloy significantly increased, from $478.8{\pm}11.6$ to $514.2{\pm}29.9MPa$, whereas elongation of the cast alloy decreased with the addition of gadolinium, from $26.0{\pm}7.1$ to $7.0{\pm}2.5%$ due to the formation of gadolinium based intermetallic compounds.