Prediction of properties of coir fiber reinforced composite by ANN

In the present study the mechanical properties of coir reinforced epoxy resin composite is predicted by using ANN approach. The experimental study by using short coconut coir fibers reinforced with Epoxy LY556 resin composite is reported in earlier studies. The coir fibers collected from Orissa, India, used in lengths of 5, 20 and 30 mm with 30% fiber and 70% matrix are used. Experiments conducted as per ASTM standards, and results of tensile, flexural, and impact strengths are reported. It is also reported that the fiber length is having significant effect on the properties of composites. The traditional experimental methods used in obtaining the properties of composites is expensive, require human resources, time consuming and human errors may occur. To reduce the above drawbacks, the present study is under taken to develop a weighted matrix between input (Fiber Length) and output (properties). ANN's training and its testing are adopted to fix the appropriate weighted matrix which in turn prognosticates the appropriate mechanical properties of coir fiber reinforced epoxy resin composites. Similar trend in the variation of tensile strength, flexural strength and impact strength were obtained in the prediction using ANN and they compared well with the experimental results reported. © The Society for Experimental Mechanics, Inc. 2014.