Effect of a Biodegradable Additive on the Mechanical Properties of LDPE Blown Films: A Statistical and Machine Learning Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37636/recit.v9n2e420Keywords:
Blown film extrusion, Mechanical properties, Low-density polyethylene, ANOVA, Machine learningAbstract
This study evaluates the effect of incorporating the biodegradable additive P–Life on the mechanical properties of ice bags (IB) made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Mechanical resistance to tension, elongation, tearing, puncture, and impact was measured over a six-month production period. Correlations were analyzed between mechanical performance and the presence or absence of the additive. Pearson’s coefficient indicated positive correlations (r ≥ 0.5) between film thickness and mechanical properties. ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) in several properties depending on the formulation. In addition, a predictive model based on the M5P algorithm was developed, achieving 94.15% accuracy, and was validated with actual samples. The results suggest that machine learning is a viable tool for predicting mechanical behavior in polymer extrusion processes, offering improvements in industrial quality control.
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