Fuzzy Logic Prediction Model for Mechanical and Absorption Behavior of Treated Woven Sisal Composites
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/dm20251068Keywords:
Woven composites, sisal fiber, chemical treatment, Performance prediction, Fuzzy logic modelAbstract
The transition towards environmentally friendly and sustainable materials has intensified interest in natural fiber-reinforced composites, with sisal fibers standing out due to their biodegradability and mechanical performance. Despite these advantages, their practical use remained hindered by poor interfacial adhesion and high moisture uptake, largely attributed to their hydrophilic nature and surface impurities.
In this study, a dual chemical treatment using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) followed by potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) was applied to three types of woven sisal fabrics (plain, twill, and satin) to enhance fiber–matrix interaction and overall composite properties. Twenty-seven composite variants were produced and evaluated to investigate the influence of weave structure, treatment concentration, and immersion time on tensile strength and water absorption.
To capture the intricate relationships between these variables, a fuzzy logic-based predictive model was developed. This model effectively forecasted material behavior, achieving low average absolute errors of 1.77% for tensile strength and 3.46% for water absorption, demonstrating its robustness and value as a tool for process optimization.
This study contributed not only to the development of high-performance, bio-based textile composites, but also introduced an intelligent, cost-effective predictive framework capable of reducing experimental demands while guiding sustainable material development.
References
Xie Y, Hill CAS, Xiao Z, Militz H, Mai C. Silane coupling agents used for natural fiber/polymer composites: A review. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf. 2010;41(7):806–19.
Faruk O, Bledzki AK, Fink HP, Sain M. Biocomposites reinforced with natural fibers: 2000–2010. Prog Polym Sci. 2012;37(11):1552–96.
Dhakal HN, Zhang ZY, Richardson MOW. Effect of water absorption on the mechanical properties of hemp fibre reinforced unsaturated polyester composites. Compos Sci Technol. 2007;67(7–8):1674–83.
George J, Sreekala MS, Thomas S. A review on interface modification and characterization of natural fiber reinforced plastic composites. Polym Eng Sci. 2001;41(9):1471–85.
Selke SEM, Wichman I. Moisture absorption and mechanical properties of natural fiber composites. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf. 2004;35(3):321–6.
Huda MS, Drzal LT, Mohanty AK, Misra M. Effect of fiber surface-treatment on the properties of laminated biocomposites from poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and kenaf fibers. Compos Sci Technol. 2006;66(11–12):1813–24.
Kabir MM, Wang H, Lau KT, Cardona F. Chemical treatments on plant-based natural fibre reinforced polymer composites: An overview. Compos Part B Eng. 2012;43(7):2883–92.
Bledzki AK, Gassan J. Composites reinforced with cellulose-based fibres. Prog Polym Sci. 1999;24(2):221–74.
John MJ, Thomas S. Biofibres and biocomposites. Carbohydr Polym. 2008;71(3):343–64.
Mwaikambo LY, Ansell MP. Chemical modification of hemp, sisal, jute, and kapok fibers by alkalization. J Appl Polym Sci. 2002;84(12):2222–34.
Chand N, Hashmi SAR. Natural fiber composites. In: Comprehensive Composite Materials. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2003.
Mendonça MA, Pereira AC, Silva SF. Application of fuzzy logic in the development of composites: A review. Mater Today Proc. 2017;4(9):9993–10001.
Tundo T, Saifullah S, Yel MB, Irawansah O, Mubarak ZY, Saidah A. Prediction of palm oil production using hybrid decision tree based on fuzzy inference system Tsukamoto. Bull Electr Eng Inform. 2024;13(6):4182–92.
Hussain MAI, Khan B, Wang Z, Ding S. Woven fabric pattern recognition and classification based on deep convolutional neural networks. Electronics. 2020;9(6):1048.
Mercy JL, Manjusha CM, Rajan KR. Modeling the mechanical behavior of pineapple leaf fiber composites using neuro-fuzzy systems. Mater Today Proc. 2020;33:2225–30.
Gangwar S, Patnaik A, Chauhan SR. Hybrid optimization of mechanical properties of alkali-treated kenaf-epoxy composites using fuzzy logic and Taguchi method. Mater Today Proc. 2022;50:1790–5.
Mahmud SF, Hossain MS, Hasan M. Fuzzy logic approach for optimizing eco-friendly PLA-jute composites reinforced with eggshell powder. J Nat Fibers. 2025. (in press)
Pujari SR, Mahapatra MM. Prediction of moisture absorption in natural fiber composites using ANN and regression models. Mater Today Proc. 2017;4(2):2226–32.
Sarkar D, Banerjee S, Sinha S. Predicting moisture absorption in polyurethane-coated fabrics using ANFIS and ANN. J Ind Text. 2021;50(5):713–28.
Mondal MS, Das D, Paul D. Fuzzy logic-based modeling of acoustic insulation in hybrid banana–glass fiber composites. Polym Compos. 2023;44(2):356–67.
Essaket I, El Wazna M, Azmami O, Sajid L, Allam I, El Maliki A, et al. Extraction and chemical treatments of Moroccan sisal fiber for composite applications. Biomass Convers Biorefinery. 2025;15(5):7077–94.
Golovoy A, Cheung MF, Van Oene H. Hydrolysis of polycarbonate/polybutylene terephthalate blend. Polym Eng Sci. 1988;28:200–6.
Sierra Nossa I, Bohórquez O, Pertuz A, Sánchez Acevedo HG, González-Estrada OA. Tensile mechanical properties of composite materials with continuous fiber produced by additive manufacturing. J Phys Conf Ser. 2019;1386:012008.
Liu CW, Kang SC. A video-enabled dynamic site planner. In: Proc Int Conf Comput Civ Build Eng. 2014;353:1562–9.
Messnaoui R, El Bakkali M, Soulhi A, Cherkaoui O. Application of fuzzy logic in weaving process: A systematic literature review. J Theor Appl Inf Technol. 2023;101(23):8008–27.
Mortada A, Soulhi A. A decision-making model for quality. J Theor Appl Inf Technol. 2023;101(13).
Mortada A, Soulhi A. A fuzzy logic model for ensuring customer satisfaction and preventing complaints about quality defects. J Theor Appl Inf Technol. 2023;101(14):5771–80.
El Alami N, Soulhi A, Guedira S. Decision-making automation: fuzzy decision-making in industry. World Sci Eng Acad Soc. 2009:181–5.
Abtew MA, Boussu F, Bruniaux P, Loghin C, Cristian I. Ballistic impact mechanisms – A review on textiles and fibre-reinforced composites impact responses. Compos Struct. 2019;223:110966.
Imoisili PE, Jen T-C. Mechanical and water absorption behaviour of potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) treated plantain (Musa Paradisiaca) fibre/epoxy bio-composites. Compos Part B Eng. 2021;223:109160.
Das H, Kalita D. Recent development of fiber reinforced composite materials. In: Biosens Nanotechnol. 2014:441–96.
Kumar S, Prasad L, Kumar S, Patel VK. Physicomechanical and Taguchi optimized abrasive wear behaviour of KOH/KMnO₄/NaHCO₃ treated Himalayan Agave fiber reinforced polyester composite. Mater Res Express. 2020;6(12):125353.
Placido Escobar JE. Application of ligninolytic enzymes in the production of biofuels from cotton wastes [dissertation]. College Station (TX): Texas A&M University; 2014.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Ilham Essaket, Mhammed El Bakkali , Anas El Maliki , Omar Cherkaoui (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Unless otherwise stated, associated published material is distributed under the same licence.
