The effect of alloying elements, precipitate size, its distribution, and dislocation substructure resulted from warm rolling or cold rolling in the superplastic Al-Mg alloy system was investigated. One of the major requirements for fine structure superplasticity is that the grain size should be very small. Fine grain structure is controlled by the dislocation substructure and the dynamic recrystallization during hot or warm working. The recovery of Al-Mg base alloys was constrained resulting in relatively high dislocation density when the alloys were warm rolled. In particular, Al-Mg-Zr alloy exhibited the smallest sub-grain size among Al-Mg alloys containing Mn, Cu, Zr as a third element. The Al-Mg-Mn alloy cold rolled 80% after hot rolling showed the maximun strain rate sensitivity exponent, m, of 0.75 under strain rate of $7.1{\times}10^{-4}/s$ at $500^{\circ}C$. The elongation of the alloys was limited in spite of high m values due to large dispersoids containing appreciable amount of Fe impurities.

Effect of austenite grain size on starting temperature of ${\gamma}{\rightarrow}{\varepsilon}$ martensitic transformation($M_s$) has been studied in an Fe-18%Mn alloy. Particular attention was paid on the variation of stacking fault energy with austenite grain size, which is considered to be a important factor affecting ${\gamma}{\rightarrow}{\varepsilon}$ martensitic transformation. Austenite grain size was increased in a wide range from $13{\mu}m$ to $185{\mu}m$ with increasing solution treatment temperature from $700^{\circ}C$ to $1100^{\circ}C$. Hardness was decreased with increasing austenite grain size while the volume fraction of ${\varepsilon}$ martensite showed a reverse tendency, which indicates that the hardness is more dependent on austenite grain size than ${\varepsilon}$ martensite content. No significant change was found in $M_s$ temperature when the grain size was larger than about $30{\mu}m$. In case that, the austenite grain size was smaller than about $30{\mu}m$, however, $M_s$ temperature was marlkedly decreased with decreasing austenite grain size. A linear relationship between $M_s$ temperature and the stacking fault formation probability, i.e. the reciprocal of the stacking fault energy was obtained, which suggests that the variation of $M_s$ temperature with austenite grain size is closely related to the change in stacking fault energy.

In high carbon steels, the cementite phase is more unstable thermally than graphite, and it can lead to a marked deterioration in the formability. Many studies have been carried out to evaluate the effect of the fundamental elements on the graphitization of cementite in high carbon steels. In this present work, the effect of Mn, Cr addition on graphitization in Fe-0.65%C-1.0%Si steel has been investigated by means of hardness testing, optical microscopy and EPMA. The nucleation of graphite may mostly depend on the dissolution rate of cementite into ferrite and the number of the nucleation sites of graphite. The graphitization was promoted by the addition of 0.1%Mn in high carbon steel, but retarded by more addition than 0.5% of Mn. By the more addition of Cr than 0.1%, the graphitization of high carbon steel was strongly retarded. Because Mn was moderate anti-graphitizer, but Cr was stroug anti-graphitizer.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe-Si-Mn-P high strength steel sheet have been investigated by controlling the cooling rate. Bainite and ferrite were obtatined by annealing in the ferrite pluse austenite region, and ferrite and austenite were obtatined after annealing in the fully austenite region. Ferrite and pearlite were obtained when the cooling rate was controlled from the annealing temperature above $760^{\circ}C$ and bainite showed with increasing cooling rate, however below $760^{\circ}C$ ferrite and bainite were obtained. Tensile strengths and hardness nearly unchanged with increasing cooling rate after control the cooling rate from the temperature above $760^{\circ}C$, while tensile strengths increased and elongation decreased with increasing cooling rate when the cooling rate was controlled from the tempeature below $760^{\circ}C$. Without regard to annealing temperature, tensile strength increased and elongation decreased with increasing cooling rate. Tensile strengths and elongation values heat treated in the ferrite plus austenite region were higher than those in the fully austenite region. Retained austenite and strength-elongation balance showed the maximum value at $780^{\circ}C$ and decreased with increasing annealing temperature. Strength-elongation balance value was controlled by the retained austenite.

In order to elucidate thermal stability of Fe-$Fe_2Ti$ eutectic structure, the initial several structures have been investigated in the changes of coarsening and spheroidization during prolonged annealing under the eutectic temperature. The results are as follows: 1) The rate constant of coarsening and spheroidization was formulated as $S^{-n}-S_0^{-n}=k{\cdot}t$, where S is the total area of the interface between ${\alpha}$ and C($Fe_2Ti$) per unit volume, $S_0$ is initial value and k is the rate constant. 2) The coarsening and spheroidization mechanism was described by Ostwald ripening and controlled by diffusion of Ti-atom in ${\alpha}$-phase. 3) The spheroidization rate constant in eutectic lamellar structures was depended upon annealing temperature and showed the Arrhenius relation. The activation energy for spheroidization of lamellar structure was 365 kJ/mole.

The formation processes of the retained austenite(${\gamma}_R$) in SHCP100 steel sheets were investigated in order to improve the transformation induced plasticity(TRIP) effect of ${\gamma}_R$. An excellent combination of elongation about 23% and high strength over 830 MPa was achieved by processing of intercritical annealing and isothermal holding. The mechanical properties of TRIP-aided dual phase steel was found to depend on the volume ratio of each phase and the volume fraction of ${\gamma}_R$. It was also noted that the proper mechanical stability of ${\gamma}_R$ improved the mechanical properties. In this work, the best balance of strength-ductility was obtained by holding the steel at $420^{\circ}C$ for 500sec. after annealing at $730^{\circ}C$ for 300 sec.

TiN and AlN are ceramic materials with extensive applications due to its excellent mechanical and chemical properties at elevated temperature. The purpose of this research is to develop the method for the synthesis of ternary nitride powder, titanium-aluminum-nitrogen system, which have an excellent property of both TiN and AlN. The ternary nitride such as $Ti_3AlN$, $Ti_2AlN$ and $Ti_3Al_2N_2$ can be synthesized by the interdiffusion nitriding method in Ar gas, however, the ternary nitride coexist with TiN, AlN, $Ti_3Al$ and ${\alpha}$-Ti. The ternary nitride are stable below $1400^{\circ}C$, but these are gradually decomposed into TiN, $Ti_3Al$ and AlN above $1400^{\circ}C$. The thermal oxidation characteristics of the Ti-Al-N compound synthesized by the interdiffusion nitriding method is superior to that of the TiN+AlN mixed powder, and the oxidation for both materials show the differential behaviors.

The effect of variation of pack activators, compositions, temperature and time on the thickness and structure of aluminide coatings formed on the TiAl alloy was studied in one-step packs and two-step packs containing aluminum for the purpose of improvement of oxidation resistance. The thickness of coating layer was increased with increasing $NH_4Cl$ content up to 3wt% and then it was saturated. Oxidation resistance of coating layers carried out at one step pack was superior to that of ones through of two step pack. The improvement of high temperature oxidation resistance was due to the formation of a protective $Al_2O_3$ surface layers and coating the alloys with $TiAl_3$ phase.