Quantitative and deep learning based fourier transform infrared radiation and tensile characteristics study on chemically treated hibiscus rosa-sinensis plant fibers

Abstract

Incorporation of natural fibers with Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRPs) is a promising avenue for sustainable and high-performance composite materials. The fibers, derived from outer bark portion of plants, offer significant merits such as renewability, low cost, and eco-friendly. Unique mechanical and physical properties, and widespread availability of Hibiscus Rosa-sinensis have made them subject of intense research interest. The present study investigated the chemically treatment of HRS Fibers using Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), Potassium Permanganate (KMnO4), and Acetic Acid (CH3COOH) bat varying weight percentages (3, 4, 5 Wt%) and solutionizing times (1, 2, 3 h) based on Taguchi’s L27 orthogonal array. Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) analysis revealed significant changes in O–H, C–H stretching, C=O moiety, aromatic ring, and C–O/C–C stretching. Potassium Permanganate treatment at 4 Wt% and 3 h of solutionizing time has yielded the best results. Multi-Layer Perceptron Artificial Neural Network (MLP-ANN) has been successfully applied to accurately predict the output physical characteristics of chemically treated HRS fibers using experimental data. Further Single Fiber Pull-out test results in Potassium Permanganate at 4 Wt% and 3 h solutionizing time as best sample with highest Tensile Strength and Modulus. This research underscores the effectiveness of the chemical treatment process in enhancing the properties of HRS plant fibers for potential composite applications.