Machine Learning-based Microstructure Prediction During Laser Sintering of Alumina: A Conditional Generative Approach

Predicting material’s microstructure under new processing conditions is essential in advanced manufacturing and materials science. This is because the material’s microstructure hugely influences the material’s properties. We demonstrate an elegant machine learning (ML) algorithm that faithfully predicts the microstructure under new conditions, without the need of knowing the governing laws. We name this algorithm, RCWGAN-GP, which is regression-based conditional generative adversarial networks (GANs) with Wasserstein loss function and gradient penalty. This algorithm was trained with experimental SEM micrographs from laser-sintered alumina under various laser powers. The RCWGAN-GP realistically regenerates the SEM micrographs under the trained laser powers. Impressively, it also faithfully predicts the alumina’s microstructure under unexplored laser powers. The predicted microstructure features, including the shapes, sizes, and spatial configuration of the grains and the pores, match the experimental SEM micrographs very well. We further examine the statistical features of the micrograph, which were predicted by RCWCAN-GP. We trained the algorithm with computer-created micrograph datasets of secondary-phase growth governed by the well-known Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (JMA) equation. The RCWGAN-GP accurately regenerates the micrographs at the trained time series, in terms of the grains’ shapes, sizes, and spatial distributions. More importantly, the predicted secondary phase fraction accurately follows the JMA curve.