Prediction of Inclusion Types From BSE Images: RF vs. CNN

The analysis of non-metallic inclusions is crucial for the assessment of steel properties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) is one of the most prominent methods for inclusion analysis. This study utilizes the output generated from SEM/EDS analysis to predict inclusion types from BSE images. Prediction models were generated using two different algorithms, Random Forest (RF) and convolutional neural networks (CNN), for comparison. For each method, three separate models were developed. Starting with a simple binary model to differentiate between inclusions and non-inclusions, then developing to more complex four and five class models. For the 4-class model, inclusions were split into oxides, sulfides, and oxy-sulfides, in addition to the non-inclusion class. The 5-class model included specific types of inclusions only, namely alumina, calcium aluminates, calcium sulfides, complex calcium-manganese sulfides, and oxy-sulfide inclusions. CNN achieved better accuracy for the binary (92%) and 4-class (78%) models, compared to RF (binary 87%, 4-class 75%). For the 5-class model, the results were similar, 60% accuracy for RF and 59% for CNN.