APPLICATION OF FACTORIAL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN IN PREDICTING PROPERTIES OF POLYMER COMPOSITES

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to access the applicability of full factorial experimental design in predicting properties of polymer composites. The preparation of the composites was conducted by applying 2² full factorial experimental design. The fiber/resin ratio was taken to be the first factor and the second – mixing temperature. For the first factor, low and high levels are chosen to be 20/80 and 40/60, respectively and for the second factor – 175^oC and 195^oC, respectively. For composites the tensile and flexural strengths were determined in a lab. On the basis of the received experimental data it was created the regression equitation which the best describes the process.