Optimal Design of Wood/Rice Husk-Waste-Filled PLA Biocomposites Using Integrated CRITIC-MABAC-Based Decision-Making...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Composite Materials

Background:

• Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) biocomposites offer sustainable alternatives but require optimization for specific applications.
• Conflicting performance attributes (physicomechanical, wear) complicate the selection of optimal biocomposite formulations.
• Wood waste and rice husk are potential fillers for PLA, influencing material properties significantly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a decision-making algorithm for selecting the optimal PLA biocomposite based on multiple conflicting attributes.
• To evaluate the physicomechanical and wear properties of PLA biocomposites with varying wood waste and rice husk content.
• To establish a robust method for material selection in complex composite systems.

Main Methods:

• Manufacturing of PLA-based binary (wood waste) and ternary (wood waste/rice husk) biocomposites with additive content ranging from 0 to 10 wt.%.
• Evaluation of physical (density, water absorption), mechanical (tensile, flexural, compressive, impact), and sliding wear properties.
• Development and application of a hybrid CRITIC-MABAC decision-making algorithm to determine attribute importance and rank biocomposite performance.

Main Results:

• Experimental results showed composition-dependent properties without clear trends, necessitating a multi-criteria decision approach.
• The CRITIC method assigned weights to attributes, while the MABAC method ranked the biocomposite alternatives.
• The 7.5 wt.% wood-waste-added PLA biocomposite was identified as the optimal formulation exhibiting the best overall physicomechanical and wear performance.

Conclusions:

• The CRITIC-MABAC algorithm effectively addresses the challenge of selecting optimal biocomposites with conflicting performance criteria.
• The study demonstrates the potential of utilizing wood waste in PLA biocomposites, with a specific composition yielding superior properties.
• This research provides a valuable methodology for optimizing composite material selection in engineering applications.