MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION OF PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF WOOD ASH PARTICLES REINFORCED PP RESIN (WARPP)

This study focused on Modeling and Optimization of Performance Characteristics of Wood Ash Particles Reinforced Polypropylene Resin (WARPP). Taguchi robust design was used to plan a minimum number of experiments needed to optimize the performance characteristics of WARPP while response surface method (RSM) was used to model and optimize performance characteristics of WARPP. The performance characteristics or responses of WARPP for the mechanical properties are the result of the interaction among the input variables – namely, particle size, volume fraction, injection force and operating temperature. The optimum values of the mechanical properties (tensile, flexural and hardness strength) of WARPP are 21.19MPa, 50.09MPa and 521.84MPa, respectively with their corresponding input variables values of 0.25 mm, 1.40 mm and 1.40 mm for particle size, 5.0%, 5.0% and 60% volume fraction, 120 ton, 200 ton and 200 ton injection force and 185ºC, 215ºC and 215ºC operating temperature. The response model of WARPP for tensile, flexural and hardness are representable with nonlinear power law model and second order polynomial models respectively. Further investigations are recommended for testing WARPP under high temperature applications to ascertain its performance at elevated temperatures.