The effect of the presence of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and silane-treated alumina trihydrate (ATH-sil) nanofillers on the mechanical, thermal, and flame retardancy properties of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer/low-density polyethylene (LDPE) blends was investigated. Different weight percentages of HNT and ATH-sil nanoparticles, as well as the hybrid system of those nanofillers, were melt mixed with the polymer blend (reference sample) using a twin-screw extruder. The morphology of the nanoparticles and polymer compositions was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The mechanical properties, hardness, water absorption, and melt flow index (MFI) of the compositions were assessed. The tensile strength increases as a function of the amount of HNT nanofiller; however, the elongation at break decreases. In the case of the hybrid system of nanofillers, the compositions showed superior mechanical properties. The thermal properties of the reference sample and those of the corresponding sample with nanofiller blends were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Two peaks were observed in the melting and crystallization temperatures. This shows that the EVA/LDPE is an immiscible polymer blend. The thermal stability of the blends was improved by the presence of HNTs and ATH-sil nanoparticles. Thermal degradation temperatures were shifted to higher values by the presence of hybrid nanofillers. Finally, the flammability of the compositions was assessed. Flammability as reflected by the limiting oxygen index (OI) was increased by the presence of HNT and ATH-sil nanofiller and a hybrid system of the nanoparticles.

Problems on the world market, related to delays in supply chains, have forced enterprises to adopt a more flexible approach in the production processes of the offered products. In order to meet customer needs, companies can often look for alternative supply chains, as well as take over the...

In the era of Industry 4.0, the digitization of production processes is one of the important elements contributing to the reduction of uncertainty related to the implementation of new production methods. The worldwide epidemic situation and its constraints have resulted in supply chain continuity...

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the energy efficiency of screw drive and linear drive CNC machine tools in turning operations. Two CNC lathes were investigated, one equipped with screw drives and the other with linear drives, during the turning of specially prepared parts. The research examines active and reactive energy consumption, offering insights into the energy efficiency of different drive technologies. The analysis indicates that lathes with linear drives exhibited a higher reactive power consumption (8 kVar) during idle operation in comparison to those with screw drives (1.2 kVar). However, both drive systems demonstrated comparable potential for reducing reactive power consumption through implementing compensation techniques, with a reduction in reactive power consumption of nearly 70%. For both drive systems, the reduction in power use with compensation was at the level of 23–30% for screw drives and 36–47% for linear drives. The study highlights the importance of considering both active and reactive energy in evaluating the energy efficiency of machine tools. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of energy consumption in turning processes, aiding in the selection and optimization of drive systems for improved sustainability in manufacturing. Future research should explore tool wear impacts, machine-specific energy optimization, and AI-driven solutions for real-time energy management.