Estimating the Tensile Strength Properties of Plantain Fiber Ash Particulate and Silumin using Box-Behnken Design.

Abstract

This study utilizes response surface methodology (RSM) to estimate the engineering parameters of PFAP/silumin composites. The tensile strengths of the developed composites were evaluated using a Box-Behnken design (BBD), considering factors such as weight fraction, particle size, soaking time, plantain fiber ash particulate concentration, and silumin. The results indicate that the weight fraction of fibers has the greatest influence on tensile strength, with interaction effects being more significant than linear and quadratic effects. The predicted tensile strengths of the PFAP/silumin composites, obtained through RSM, closely matched the experimental values, validating the reliability of the software. The range of predicted tensile strengths was found to be 44.66 MPa to 64.05 MPa, while the obtained experimental values ranged from 40.31 MPa to 75.98 MPa. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the BBD method in quickly obtaining optimum values of tensile strength for PFAP/silumin composites. Furthermore, this research highlights the promising potential of utilizing waste materials in the automotive industry, particularly in East Africa. Keywords: Response surface methodology (RSM), Natural fibers, Hybrid composites, Tensile strength Agro-waste, Cellulose fiber, Box-Behnken design (BBD), Automotive industry.