Technical Papers
Sep 27, 2024

Automated Mineral Identification of Pozzolanic Materials Using XRD Patterns

Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36, Issue 12

Abstract

Use of pozzolanic materials in concrete has become increasingly popular due to their ability to improve long-term strength and durability. To better understand their reactivity and reaction mechanism, proper characterization of their chemical properties is required. X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a widely used nondestructive testing method that can identify the different constituent phases of pozzolanic materials. However, the conventional qualitative approach for XRD analysis can be challenging due to the significant peak overlap and an amorphous hump in the baseline of XRD patterns. To address this issue, this study proposes a deep learning–based automated method for accurately identifying the minerals in pozzolanic materials using XRD patterns. The proposed method involves the deep learning–based peak picking algorithm, establishment of mineral candidates, and automated mineral identification using an optimization process. The performance of the model was validated using eight pozzolanic materials belonging to four classes (slag, fly ash, ground bottom ash, and silica fume).

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Data Availability Statement

Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by an internal grant (Carbon Neutrality in Cement Industry: Database and Machine Learning for Ecofriendly Construction Materials, Code: 20220482-001) from the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT), Republic of Korea.
Author contributions: Hyunjun Kim: conceptualization, methodology, validation, and writing–original draft. Jinyoung Yoon: writing–original draft, writing–review and editing, and supervision.

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Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36Issue 12December 2024

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Received: Oct 23, 2023
Accepted: May 2, 2024
Published online: Sep 27, 2024
Published in print: Dec 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Feb 27, 2025

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Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Seoul National Univ. of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Republic of Korea. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3838-4153
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Konkuk Univ., Seoul 01811, Republic of Korea (corresponding author). ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4451-0953. Email: [email protected]

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