Microstructural characterization of QC-forming Al-Mn-based alloy using machine learning software

Zaky, Adam (author), Leskovar, Blaž (author), Naglič, Iztok (author), Markoli, Boštjan (author)

The main objective was to investigate and evaluate the influence of TiC and TiB$_2$ inoculants on the formation of not only the icosahedral quasicrystalline phase (IQC) but also the β-phase in our Al-Mn-Si-Cu-Mg alloy. First, the presence of both phases was confirmed using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), followed by microstructural segmentation and quantification using the open-source machine learning software ilastik and Fiji. The ilastik software was selected because it allowed us to use different parameters to distinguish between the IQC and β-AlMnSi phases, which otherwise have similar color/Z contrast and are difficult to distinguish in a timely manner using other methods. The analyses were performed on a total of 3662 images taken during optical light microscopy. The results show that TiC inoculants better promote the ability to form IQC compared to TiB$_2$. The use of TiC resulted in an increase of 40% compared to only 14% when TiB$_2$ was used. Exceeding the TiC threshold of 0.0224 wt.% resulted in a 571% increase in the amount of β-phase compared to our non-inoculated alloy. Microhardness measurements were carried out on the IQC phase using the Vickers method, and an average value of 680 HV0.01 was obtained.

• Language: English
• Keywords: aluminum alloys, quasicrystals, nucleation, machine learning, characterization
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: NTF - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 1123-1132
• Numbering: Vol. 77, no. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-167743
• UDC: 669
• ISSN on article: 1543-1851
• DOI: 10.1007/s11837-024-06899-3
• COBISS.SI-ID: 211389187
• Publication date in RUL: 10.03.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: JOM
• Shortened title: JOM
• Publisher: Springer Nature, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society
• ISSN: 1543-1851
• COBISS.SI-ID: 513684249

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: aluminijeve zlitine, kvazikristali, nukleacija, strojno učenje, karakterizacija

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Funding programme: Young researchers

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: EIT RawMaterials
• Project number: 21128
• Acronym: CastQC