Ni-C composite films were prepared using a combination of microwave plasma CVD and ion beam sputtering deposition working in a codeposition way. The structure of these films was characterized by energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. It was found that a nickel carbide phase, $Ni_3C$ (hcp), formed as very fine crystallites over a wide temperature range when Ni-C films were deposited at low $CH_4$ flow rates. The thermal stability of this nonequilibrium carbide $Ni_3C$ was also studied. As a result, the $Ni_3C$ carbide was found to decompose into nickel and graphite at around $400^{\circ}C$. With high $CH_4$ flow rates (> 0.2 sccm), the structure of the Ni-C films became amorphous. The formation behavior of the carbide and amorphous Ni-C phases are discussed in relation to the electrical resistivity of the films.

This study has investigated the surface phase change, hardness variation, surface precipitates, nitrogen content and corrosion resistance in STS 431 (17Cr-2Ni-0.2C-0.01Nb) martensitic stainless steel after high temperature gas nitriding (HTGN) treatment at the temperature range between $1050^{\circ}C$ and $1150^{\circ}C$. The HTGN-treated surface layer appeared $Cr_2N$ of rod type, carbo-nitride of round type and fine precipitates in the austenite matrix. On the other hand the interior region where the nitrogen was not permeated, exhibited martensite phase. The surface hardness showed 250~590 HV, depending on the HTGN treatment conditions, while the interior martensitic phase represented 520 HV. The permeation depth of nitrogen increased with increasing the HTGN-treated temperature. The nitrogen concentration of the surface layer appeared approximately ~0.17% at $1100^{\circ}C$. On comparing the corrosion resistance between solution-annealed and HTGN-treated steels, the corrosion resistance of HTGN-treated steel was superior to that of solution-annealed specimens.

A transmission electron microscope investigation has been performed on the morphology of dislocations in deformed ${\gamma}^{\prime}-Ni_3(Al,Ti)$ alloys containing fine dispersion of disordered ${\gamma}$ particles. Superlattice dislocations dissociate into fourfold Shockley partial dislocations in a uniform supersaturated solid solution of the ${\gamma}^{\prime}$ phase. Dislocations are attracted into the disordered ${\gamma}$ phase and dissociate further in the particles. At any stage of aging, dislocations cut through the particles and the Orowan bypassing process does not occur even in the over-aged stage of this alloy system. The work necessary to pull the dislocation away from the disordered particles into the ordered matrix should mainly contribute to increase the strength of the ${\gamma}^{\prime}$ phase containing fine dispersion of the disordered ${\gamma}$ phase.