Assessment of mechanical and physicochemical properties of palm fiber composites: Effect of alkaline treatment and volume alterations

Abstract

This study assesses the impact of alkaline treatments and volume fractions on biocomposites composed of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix reinforced with date palm tree fibers (FPDS). Tensile tests were conducted on both untreated and NaOH-treated biocomposites. Additionally, fiber analysis was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results reveal higher strength and stiffness compared to HDPE, albeit with limited plasticity making the material brittle. The NaOH treatment enhances certain mechanical properties. Further assessments encompassed hardness, density, melt index, and Izod impact tests. Two volume fractions, 20% and 25%, of FPDS were tested. The study establishes a correlation between empirical predictions and artificial neural network (ANN) models. Notably, an ANN architecture consisting of two input factors, 10 hidden nodes, and one output provides the analysis of mechanical properties. This investigation highlights the potential of FPDS-reinforced HDPE biocomposites, emphasizing their mechanical performance under various treatments and fiber levels.