Multiphase Identification Through Automatic Classification from Large-Scale Nanoindentation Mapping Compared to an EBSD-Machine Learning Approach

Characterising and quantifying complex multiphase steels is a challenging and time-consuming process, which is often open to subjectivity when based on image analysis of optical metallographic or SEM images. The properties of multiphase steels are highly sensitive to their individual phase propertie...

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Main Authors: Carl Slater, Bharath Bandi, Pedram Dastur, Claire Davis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Metals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/6/636
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author Carl Slater
Bharath Bandi
Pedram Dastur
Claire Davis
author_facet Carl Slater
Bharath Bandi
Pedram Dastur
Claire Davis
author_sort Carl Slater
collection DOAJ
description Characterising and quantifying complex multiphase steels is a challenging and time-consuming process, which is often open to subjectivity when based on image analysis of optical metallographic or SEM images. The properties of multiphase steels are highly sensitive to their individual phase properties and fractions, necessitating the development of robust characterisation tools. This paper presents a method for classifying nanoindentation maps into proportional fractions of up to five distinct microstructural regions in dual-phase and complex-phase steels. The phases/regions considered are ferrite, ferrite containing mobile dislocations, bainite, tempered martensite, and untempered martensite. A range of microstructures with varying fractions of phases were evaluated using both SEM/EBSD and nanoindentation. A machine learning (ML) approach applied to EBSD data showed good consistency in characterising a two-phase system. However, as the microstructural system complexity increased, variations were observed between different analysts and the sensitivity to the ML training data increased when four phases were present (reaching up to ~11% difference in the ferrite phase fraction determined). The proposed nanoindentation mapping technique does not show operator sensitivity and enables the quantification of additional microstructural features, such as identifying and quantifying ferrite regions with a high density of mobile dislocations and the degree of martensite tempering.
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spelling doaj-art-112c069dd01a45c288ecf116201f7b8c2025-08-20T03:29:39ZengMDPI AGMetals2075-47012025-06-0115663610.3390/met15060636Multiphase Identification Through Automatic Classification from Large-Scale Nanoindentation Mapping Compared to an EBSD-Machine Learning ApproachCarl Slater0Bharath Bandi1Pedram Dastur2Claire Davis3WMG, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UKDepartment of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Hanamkonda 506004, IndiaWMG, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UKWMG, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UKCharacterising and quantifying complex multiphase steels is a challenging and time-consuming process, which is often open to subjectivity when based on image analysis of optical metallographic or SEM images. The properties of multiphase steels are highly sensitive to their individual phase properties and fractions, necessitating the development of robust characterisation tools. This paper presents a method for classifying nanoindentation maps into proportional fractions of up to five distinct microstructural regions in dual-phase and complex-phase steels. The phases/regions considered are ferrite, ferrite containing mobile dislocations, bainite, tempered martensite, and untempered martensite. A range of microstructures with varying fractions of phases were evaluated using both SEM/EBSD and nanoindentation. A machine learning (ML) approach applied to EBSD data showed good consistency in characterising a two-phase system. However, as the microstructural system complexity increased, variations were observed between different analysts and the sensitivity to the ML training data increased when four phases were present (reaching up to ~11% difference in the ferrite phase fraction determined). The proposed nanoindentation mapping technique does not show operator sensitivity and enables the quantification of additional microstructural features, such as identifying and quantifying ferrite regions with a high density of mobile dislocations and the degree of martensite tempering.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/6/636phase identificationcharacterisationnanoindentationdual-phase steels
spellingShingle Carl Slater
Bharath Bandi
Pedram Dastur
Claire Davis
Multiphase Identification Through Automatic Classification from Large-Scale Nanoindentation Mapping Compared to an EBSD-Machine Learning Approach
Metals
phase identification
characterisation
nanoindentation
dual-phase steels
title Multiphase Identification Through Automatic Classification from Large-Scale Nanoindentation Mapping Compared to an EBSD-Machine Learning Approach
title_full Multiphase Identification Through Automatic Classification from Large-Scale Nanoindentation Mapping Compared to an EBSD-Machine Learning Approach
title_fullStr Multiphase Identification Through Automatic Classification from Large-Scale Nanoindentation Mapping Compared to an EBSD-Machine Learning Approach
title_full_unstemmed Multiphase Identification Through Automatic Classification from Large-Scale Nanoindentation Mapping Compared to an EBSD-Machine Learning Approach
title_short Multiphase Identification Through Automatic Classification from Large-Scale Nanoindentation Mapping Compared to an EBSD-Machine Learning Approach
title_sort multiphase identification through automatic classification from large scale nanoindentation mapping compared to an ebsd machine learning approach
topic phase identification
characterisation
nanoindentation
dual-phase steels
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/6/636
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AT pedramdastur multiphaseidentificationthroughautomaticclassificationfromlargescalenanoindentationmappingcomparedtoanebsdmachinelearningapproach
AT clairedavis multiphaseidentificationthroughautomaticclassificationfromlargescalenanoindentationmappingcomparedtoanebsdmachinelearningapproach