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Nonoriented electrical steels have been cut using pulsed or continuous-laser techniques and mechanical cutting has been used as a reference. The corresponding states of internal stresses at the cut edges have been systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction, for both laser and mechanical cut samples. The characteristic magnetic properties measured at 50 Hz and 1.5 tesla, total weight losses , coercive field , remanent induction , and maximum differential permeability , have been determined. Results tend to prove the superiority of mechanical cutting for the larger samples. Whereas higher thermal stresses were induced when using the laser-pulsed mode, magnetic properties were less deteriorated compared with the continuous-laser cutting technique.

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Composites with high density polyethylene (HDPE) and poly(lactic) acid (PLA) matrix have been tested to analyze the effect of natural fillers (wood flour, recycled wastepaper and a mix of both fillers) and temperature on polymer degradation. Composting tests have been performed in both mesophilic (35 °C) and thermophilic (58 °C) conditions. Degradation development has been evaluated through mass variation, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. HDPE, as expected, did not display any relevant variation, confirming its stability under our composting conditions. PLA is sensibly influenced by temperature and humidity, with higher reduction of Mw when composting is performed at 58 °C. Natural fillers seem to influence degradation process of composites, already at 35 °C. In fact, degradation of fillers at 35 °C allows a mass reduction during composting of composites, while neat PLA do not display any variation.