Application of a Neural Network Model for Prediction of Wear Properties of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene Composites

In the current study, the effect of applied load, sliding speed, and type and weight percentages of reinforcements on the wear properties of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) was theoretically studied. The extensive experimental results were taken from literature and modeled with artificial neural network (ANN). The feed forward (FF) back-propagation (BP) neural network (NN) was used to predict the dry sliding wear behavior of UHMWPE composites. Eleven input vectors were used in the construction of the proposed NN. The carbon nanotube (CNT), carbon fiber (CF), graphene oxide (GO), and wollastonite additives are the main input parameters and the volume loss is the output parameter for the developed NN. It was observed that the sliding speed and applied load have a stronger effect on the volume loss of UHMWPE composites in comparison to other input parameters. The proper condition for achieving the desired wear behaviors of UHMWPE by tailoring the weight percentage and reinforcement particle size and composition was presented. The proposed NN model and the derived explicit form of mathematical formulation show good agreement with test results and can be used to predict the volume loss of UHMWPE composites.