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.
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 problems. These problems make enterprises look for the possibility of producing products that they need at the moment and which they cannot obtain from the market. In special cases, this may also apply to spare parts necessary to maintain the continuity of production. The main reason for research on comparing production processes is meeting the challenges related to the pandemic situation and problems in maintaining timeliness, fl exibility, and continuity of the supply chain. The fi rst stage of the research was to visualize the course of the process and determine the lead times for both production methods. For further analysis, a digital process model was used to compare the hybrid and the classical method to check the viability of the interchangeability of methods for the production process of the fl ange part. The interchangeability of production methods was dictated by problems related to the supply of components for the execution of orders. The article simulates the model for unit and small-lot production in batches of 10 and 100 pieces, considering such aspects as: order completion time, energy consumption of the process, production costs, taking into account the classic and hybrid methods. The conducted research was aimed at determining the profi tability of the production of fl ange-type products by means of classical processing and hybrid and checking the interchangeability of production methods in accordance with quality requirements as well as reducing uncertainty with the implementation of new production systems in changing market conditions. The simulations show that the use of hybrid production is recommended for unit production. In the case of small-lot production, already with 10 items, production in the traditional process is 21% cheaper, and for the production of 100 items, the cost of traditional production is reduced by 33% compared to hybrid production.
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