Intelligent Modeling of Erosion-Corrosion in Polymer Composites: Integrating Fuzzy Logic and Machine Learning

This study presents a novel hybrid intelligent framework integrating fuzzy logic and artificial neural networks (ANN) to model the erosion-corrosion behavior of glass-fiber-reinforced pipes (GRP) under harsh operating conditions. Experimental data encompassing multiple operational parameters-including abrasive sand concentrations (250 g, 400 g, 500 g), flow rates (0.0067 m³/min, 0.01 m³/min, 0.015 m³/min), chlorine content (0-10 wt.%), and exposure times (1-5 h)-were utilized to develop the computational models. The fuzzy logic system effectively captured qualitative expert knowledge and uncertainty in material degradation processes, while ANN models provided quantitative predictions of erosion and corrosion rates. Results demonstrated good prediction accuracy, with R² values of 0.81 for corrosion rate and moderate prediction accuracy 0.56 for erosion rate. The analysis revealed that flow rate (correlation: 0.6) and fuzzy severity (0.6) were the most influential parameters, followed by chlorine content (0.41) and sand concentration (0.32). The hybrid model identified optimal operating conditions to minimize material degradation: low sand concentration (250 g), low flow rate (0.0067 m³/min), absence of chlorine, and shorter exposure times. This intelligent modeling approach provides a powerful tool for predictive maintenance, operational optimization, and service life prediction of GRP systems in aggressive environments, bridging the gap between experimental data and computational intelligence for enhanced material performance assessment.