This thesis is written in an alternate format. The thesis is composed of a general introduction, four original manuscripts, and a general conclusion. References cited within each chapter are located immediately after that section. In addition, figures and tables are numbered independently within each chapter.

The general introduction focuses on the driving force behind this research, and gives an overview of previous work done on nickel-based superalloys. Chapter 2 describes the preliminary experiments and how those experiments guided the rest of the thesis work. Chapter 3 deals specifically with the oxidation performance of platinum group metal (PGM) and hafnium modifications to β-NiAl intermetallic. Chapter 4 investigates the role of grain size on the oxidation resistance of NiAl based alloys. Chapter 5 focuses on the role of melting temperature on the oxidation resistance of NiAl based alloys. Chapter 6 summarizes the important results of this study.