The carbon concentration in the carburized steels was measured by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) for a range of soluted carbon content in austenite from 0.1 to 1.2 wt%. This study demonstrates the problems in carbon quantitative analysis using the existing calibration curve derived from pure iron (0.008 wt%C) and graphite (99.98 wt%C) as standard specimens. In order to derive an improved calibration curve, carbon homogenization treatment was performed to produce a uniform Kα intensity in selected standard samples (AISI 8620, AISI 4140, AISI 1065, AISI 52100 steel). The trend of detection intensity was identified according to the analysis condition, such as accelerating voltage (10, 15, 30 keV), and beam current (20, 50 nA). The appropriate analysis conditions (15 keV, 20 nA) were derived. When the carbon concentration depth profile of the carburized specimen was measured for a short carburizing time using the improved calibration curve, it proved to be a more reliable and accurate analysis method compared to the conventional analysis method.

Titanium alloys have been attractive due to a high ratio of strength to weight as well as good corrosion resistance. However, strengthening causes a decrease in ductility in Ti alloys, as is usual in other alloys. For enhanced strength without ductility reduction, grain refinement and tensile properties were investigated as functions of thickness reduction of cold rolling and annealing condition in Ti-15V-3Cr-3Sn-3Al alloy with a β single phase. The average grain size of the specimen, which was cold-rolled by 90% and annealed at 700˚C for 5 min, was decreased to approximately 19 μm. The grain refinement of 63 μm to 19 μm increased yield stress by 90 MPa without a significant decrease in total elongation. The Ti-15-3 alloy exhibited very low work hardening during tensile test at a crosshead speed of 2 mm/min. This result was discussed based on dynamic recovery associated with dislocation annihilation in grain boundaries.

We combined Field-Activated Combustion Synthesis(FACS) with mechanical pressure to produce dense WC-20 vol.%Co composite in one step. The hardness, the fracture toughness and the relative density of the dense WC-20 vol.%Co were investigated. Under the application of 60 MPa pressure and 3000A current on the reactants, the relative density of WC-20 vol.%Co composite was 99.4%. The fracture toughness and hardness were and respectively. The fracture toughness and hardness of WC-20 vol.%Co composite produced by FAPACS were lower than that of nanostructured composite, but similar to commercial ones. Therefore we concluded that the FAPACS method which can produce WC-20 vol.%Co within several minutes in one step is superior to conventional ones.