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ABSTRACTTo research the mechanisms of diffusion and water uptake kinetics biocomposites, various HDPE materials reinforced by varying quantities of Washingtonia filifera (WF) fibres (10 to 30 wt%) were submerged at room temperature in distilled water. To optimise the immersion time and WFfibre content in HDPE/WF biocomposite water uptake, an artificial neural network, the response surface methodology and the genetic algorithm were employed. In this research, the CCD model of RSM was utilised to carry out test design, modelling, and optimisation. It was found that the way water absorbs liquids follows the Fickian diffusion mode. The outcomes demonstrate that the incorporation of WFfibres into the HDPE matrix decreased the diffusivity. The ANOVA determined the relative significance of each variable and demonstrated the model’s validity by demonstrating a high correlation between the observed data. Moreover, the results showed that the ANN models have training, test and validation correlation coefficients for water absorption prediction of 0.9955, 0.9915 and 0.9999, respectively. RSM-GA revealed that a 10% fibre content and a one-hour immersion duration produced the lowest levels of absorption. Additionally, a model that is very suitable for predicting biocomposites water uptake and is applicable to a variety of industrial applications is developed.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the chemical treatment impact on Washingtonia filifera(WF) fibers using sodium bicarbonate (10% NaHCO3) for varying durations (24, 48, 72, 120, and 168 h) on the physical and mechanical characteristics of polylactic acid (PLA)/WF-biochar/biomass hybrid biocomposites. Differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to examine the temperature effect on the mineralogical composition of treated and raw WF fibers and monitor their thermal behavior. The produced biocomposites' tensile, impact, flexural, and morphological characteristics were evaluated. The results demonstrate that chemical treatments improve matrix-fiber adhesion and remove impurities from the fiber surface. Hybrid biocomposites of PLA biopolymers manufactured from biochar and WF fibers given a sodium bicarbonate treatment for 72 h exhibit improved mechanical properties, such as elasticity modulus and strength under tensile and flexural forces. Consequently, these new hybrid biocomposites can be used in various structural and non-structural products, such as car interiors, new 3D printer filament, biomedical equipment and materials, sports equipment, food packaging.