Journal Oy WVlataerls Set rT: Asa Alno fechno. logyJournal of Materials Science and Technology Euitorin-Chief: 8. Vodenicharoy Editors. 8. Christoy, E. Momehilov Corresponding Editors: N. Popov, K. Russew Editorial Advisory Board S. Asai, Nagoye University, School of Engineering, Nagoya, Japan 0. A, Bannilh, Institute of Metallurgy “A. A. Baikev", Moscow, Russia D_K. Belashchenko, Steel anc Alloys Institute, Moscow, Russia P. Duhaj, Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia E, Fromm, Max-Planck-lnstitute for Materials Science, Stuttgart, Germany D. Frangois, Ecole Centrale Paris, Laboratoire de Méchanique, France ‘W. Gust, Max-Planck-Institute for Materials Science, Stuttgart, Germany J.F. Kalthoff, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany J.F. Knott, Faculty of Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Materials, The University of Bimningham, United Kingdom G. Konezos, Central Research Institute for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary D. Mung, Institut ftir Zuverlaessigkeit und Schadenskunde im Machinenbau der Universitit Karlsruhe, Germany A. Neimitz, Kielce University of Technology, Kielce, Poland P. R. Sahm, Foundry Institute, RWTH, Aachen, Germany J. Sietsma, Delft University of Tehnology, Laboratory of Materials Science, Delfi, | The Netherlands | H. Wobifabrt, Institut fur Schweiftechnik und Werksiofftechnologie der Technischen Universitat Braunschweig. Germany S. Zatulovsky, Institute for Problems of Casting, Ukrainian Academy of § Ukraine jences, Kiev, Editorial Board: V. Anchey, C. Andreev, Y. Arsov, T. Baleysky, A. Baltoy, K.Daskalov, T. Kamenova, R. Kovatcheva, V. Mikhnev, P. Mintehev, D. Nenov, L Parchorov, Ts. Rashev, N. Stoichev, T. Stoichev, L. Stojanova, V. Toshkov, Zholov, G. Zlateva Creative Editor: 8. Semerdjiey Production Coordinator and Marketing Manager: K. Kostov Editorial Assistants: A. Lilova {hss issue was published, m part, with the tiwanetal support ot National Selene Fund, Bulgurian Ministry of Education and Science ©im tuie of Metal Science, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences 67 Shipehenski Prohod Street, 1574 Sofia, Bulgaria Teleplione: E-mails Fu 4359 (2)923 2970 Edlitor-in-Chief: svims@ims.bas-be +359 @) 703207 +3592) 7141 241 Corresp, Editor: kruss(@iims bas.bg +359 @) 704 392 ‘Typesetting and prepress by Corel Prose” Wobsit 9 ketp://coral dir beVolume & 2000 Number 2 Journal of Materials Science and Technology Institute of Metal Science Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia ‘