Abstract Scope |
Predicting the final microstructure of steel based on its chemical composition and heat treatment conditions is a long-standing goal in metallurgy. This project explores how machine learning can support that goal by classifying the dominant microstructural phase such as martensite, bainite, pearlite, or ferrite after heat treatment. The model was trained on a custom dataset built from peer-reviewed studies, TTT and CCT diagrams, and verified thermodynamic simulations.
We used input features including alloying elements, austenitizing temperature, and cooling method, and applied multiple supervised learning algorithms. Tree-based models provided the best performance, with classification accuracy exceeding 90%. The results matched well with established transformation behavior.
We used SHAP values to analyze how elements like carbon, manganese, and chromium influence the phase outcomes.
The final model is intended to support students, researchers, and engineers by providing fast, data-backed predictions, especially in early-stage alloy design and training. |