Predicting the Mechanical Strength of Fire Protective Fabrics after Thermal Aging using Machine Learning

Thermal aging leads to a reduction in the tensile strength of fire protective fabrics, which increases the skin burn risks of the wearer. Standardized test methods are generally destructive. In this study, machine learning was applied to predict the tensile strength after heat exposure. Training data was obtained from published articles, and seven features that affect the tensile strength of the fabric were determined. The results indicated that the average R2 and RMSE of machine learning models was 0.83 and 135.40, respectively, which was better than the traditional statistical model (R2 = 0.45, RMSE = 238.41). Among all the models, GBR produced the best prediction result (R2 = 0.95, RMSE = 77.42). Five features (fiber, weight, testing direction, exposure time, and heat flux density) were sufficient to achieve a better prediction.