Nature Communications (Nov 2024)

Modeling complex polycrystalline alloys using a Generative Adversarial Network enabled computational platform

  • Brayan Murgas,
  • Joshua Stickel,
  • Luke Brewer,
  • Somnath Ghosh

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53865-3
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 16

Abstract

Read online

Abstract Creating statistically equivalent virtual microstructures (SEVM) for polycrystalline materials with complex microstructures that encompass multi-modal morphological and crystallographic distributions is a challenging enterprise. Cold spray-formed (CSF) AA7050 alloy containing coarse-grained prior particles and ultra-fine grains (UFG) and additively manufactured (AM) Ti64 alloys with alpha laths in beta substrates. The paper introduces an approach strategically integrating a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) for multi-modal microstructures with a synthetic microstructure builder DREAM.3D for packing grains conforming to statistics in electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) maps for generating SEVMs of CSF and AM alloy microstructures. A robust multiscale model is subsequently developed for self-consistent coupling of crystal plasticity finite element model (CPFEM) for coarse-grained crystals with an upscaled constitutive model for UFGs. Sub-volume elements are simulated for efficient computations and their responses are averaged for overall stress-strain response. The methods developed are important for image-based micromechanical modeling that is necessary for microstructure-property relations.