skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Prediction of flotation efficiency of metal sulfides using an original hybrid machine learning model
Abstract Froth flotation process is extensively used for selective separation of base metal sulfides from uneconomic mineral resources. Reliable prediction of process outcomes (metal recovery and grade) is vital to ensure peak performance. This work employs an innovative hybrid machine learning (ML) model—constructed by combining the random forest model and the firefly algorithm—to predict froth flotation efficiency of galena and chalcopyrite in relation to various experimental process parameters. The hybrid model's prediction performance was rigorously evaluated, and compared against four different standalone ML models. The outcomes of this study illustrate that the hybrid ML model has the prediction ability to process outcomes with high‐fidelity, while consistently outperforming the standalone ML models.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1932690 1661609
PAR ID:
10458144
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Engineering Reports
Volume:
2
Issue:
6
ISSN:
2577-8196
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Machine learning (ML) has shown to be an effective alternative to physical models for quality prediction and process optimization of metal additive manufacturing (AM). However, the inherent “black box” nature of ML techniques such as those represented by artificial neural networks has often presented a challenge to interpret ML outcomes in the framework of the complex thermodynamics that govern AM. While the practical benefits of ML provide an adequate justification, its utility as a reliable modeling tool is ultimately reliant on assured consistency with physical principles and model transparency. To facilitate the fundamental needs, physics-informed machine learning (PIML) has emerged as a hybrid machine learning paradigm that imbues ML models with physical domain knowledge such as thermomechanical laws and constraints. The distinguishing feature of PIML is the synergistic integration of data-driven methods that reflect system dynamics in real-time with the governing physics underlying AM. In this paper, the current state-of-the-art in metal AM is reviewed and opportunities for a paradigm shift to PIML are discussed, thereby identifying relevant future research directions. 
    more » « less
  2. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination has posed a significant environmental and public health challenge due to their ubiquitous nature. Adsorption has emerged as a promising remediation technique, yet optimizing adsorption efficiency remains complex due to the diverse physicochemical properties of PFAS and the wide range of adsorbent materials. Traditional modeling approaches, such as response surface methodology (RSM), struggled to capture nonlinear interactions, while standalone machine learning (ML) models required extensive datasets. This study addressed these limitations by developing hybrid RSM-ML models to improve the prediction and optimization of PFAS adsorption. A comprehensive dataset was constructed using experimental adsorption data, integrating key parameters such as pH, pHpzc, surface area, temperature, and PFAS molecular properties. RSM was employed to model adsorption behavior, while gradient boosting (GB), random forest (RF), and extreme gradient boosting (XGB) were used to enhance predictive performance. Hybrid models—linear, RMSE-based, multiplicative, and meta-learning—were developed and evaluated. The meta-learning HOP-RSM-GB model achieved near-perfect accuracy (R² = 1.00, RMSE = 10.59), outperforming all other models. Surface plots revealed that low pH and high pHpzc maximized the adsorption while increasing log Kow consistently enhanced PFAS adsorption. These findings establish hybrid RSM-ML modeling as a powerful framework for optimizing PFAS remediation strategies. The integration of statistical and machine learning approaches significantly improves predictive accuracy, reduces experimental costs, and provides deeper insights into adsorption mechanisms. This study underscores the importance of data-driven approaches in environmental engineering and highlights future opportunities for integrating ML-driven modeling with experimental adsorption research. 
    more » « less
  3. Abstract Alkali‐activated mortar (AAM) is an emerging eco‐friendly construction material, which can complement ordinary Portland cement (OPC) mortars. Prediction of properties of AAMs—albeit much needed to complement experiments—is difficult, owing to substantive batch‐to‐batch variations in physicochemical properties of their precursors (i.e., aluminosilicate and activator solution). In this study, a machine learning (ML) model is employed; and it is shown that the model—once trained and optimized—can reliably predict compressive strength of AAMs solely from their initial physicochemical attributes. Prediction performance of the model improves when multiple compositional descriptors of the aluminosilicate are combined into a singular, composite chemostructural descriptor (i.e.,network ratioandnumber of constraints); thus, reducing the degrees of freedom. Through interpretation of the ML model's outcomes—specifically the variable importance for the AAMs’ compressive strength—a simple, easy‐to‐use, closed‐form analytical model is developed. Results demonstrate that the analytical model yields predictions of compressive strength of AAMs without scarifying much accuracy compared to the ML model. Overall, this study's outcomes demonstrate a roadmap—incorporates composite chemostructural descriptors in ML models—that can be employed to design AAMs to achieve targeted compressive strength. 
    more » « less
  4. Abstract Ultrahigh temperature ceramics (UHTCs) have melting points above 3000°C and outstanding strength at high temperatures, thus making them apposite structural materials for high‐temperature applications. Di‐borides, nitride, and carbide compounds—processed via various techniques—have been extensively studied and used in the manufacture of UHTCs. Current analytical models, based on our current but incomplete understanding of the theory, are unable to produce a priori predictions of mechanical properties of UHTCs based on their mixture designs and processing parameters. As a result, researchers have to rely on experiments—which are often costly and time‐consuming—to understand composition–structure–performance links in UHTCs. This study employs machine learning (ML) models (i.e., random forest and artificial neural network models) to predict Young's modulus, flexural strength, and fracture toughness of UHTCs in relation to a wide range of mixture designs, processing parameters, and testing conditions. Outcomes demonstrate that adequately trained ML models can yield reliable predictions, a priori, of the three aforesaid mechanical properties. The prediction performance on Young's modulus is superior to flexural strength and fracture toughness. Next, the ML model with the best prediction performance is utilized to evaluate and rank the impacts of input variables on Young's modulus. Finally, on the basis of such classification of consequential and inconsequential input variables, this study develops an easy‐to‐use, closed‐form analytical model to predict Young's modulus of UHTCs. Overall, this study highlights the ability of data‐driven numerical models to complement, or even replace, time‐consuming experiments, thereby accelerating the development of UHTCs. 
    more » « less
  5. Abstract Accurate and cost-effective quantification of the carbon cycle for agroecosystems at decision-relevant scales is critical to mitigating climate change and ensuring sustainable food production. However, conventional process-based or data-driven modeling approaches alone have large prediction uncertainties due to the complex biogeochemical processes to model and the lack of observations to constrain many key state and flux variables. Here we propose a Knowledge-Guided Machine Learning (KGML) framework that addresses the above challenges by integrating knowledge embedded in a process-based model, high-resolution remote sensing observations, and machine learning (ML) techniques. Using the U.S. Corn Belt as a testbed, we demonstrate that KGML can outperform conventional process-based and black-box ML models in quantifying carbon cycle dynamics. Our high-resolution approach quantitatively reveals 86% more spatial detail of soil organic carbon changes than conventional coarse-resolution approaches. Moreover, we outline a protocol for improving KGML via various paths, which can be generalized to develop hybrid models to better predict complex earth system dynamics. 
    more » « less