An approach to cleaner production for machining hardened steel using different cooling-lubrication conditions

Owing to superior physio-chemical characteristics, titanium alloys are widely adopted in numerous fields such as medical, aerospace, and military applications. However, titanium alloys have poor machinability due to its low thermal conductivity which results in high temperature during machining. Numerous lubrication and cooling techniques have already been employed to reduce the harmful environmental footprints and temperature elevation and to improve the machining of titanium alloys. In this current work, an attempt has been made to evaluate the effectiveness of two cooling and lubrication techniques namely cryogenic cooling and hybrid nanoadditive–based minimum quantity lubrication (MQL). The key objective of this experimental research is to compare the influence of cryogenic CO2 and hybrid nanofluid–based MQL techniques for turning Ti–6Al–4V. The used hybrid nanofluid is alumina (Al2O3) with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) dispersed in vegetable oil. Taguchi-based L9 orthogonal-array was used for the design of the experiment. The design variables were cutting speed, feed rate, and cooling technique. Results showed that the hybrid nanoadditives reduced the average surface roughness by 8.72%, cutting force by 11.8%, and increased the tool life by 23% in comparison with the cryogenic cooling. Nevertheless, the cryogenic technique showed a reduction of 11.2% in cutting temperature compared to the MQL-hybrid nanofluids at low and high levels of cutting speed and feed rate. In this regard, a milestone has been achieved by implementing two different sustainable cooling/lubrication techniques.

Effects of hybrid Al2O3-CNT nanofluids and cryogenic cooling on machining of Ti–6Al–4V

Flood cooling is a typical cooling strategy used in industry to dissipate the high temperature generated during machining of Inconel 718. The use of flood coolant has risen environmental and health concerns which call for different alternatives. Minimum quaintly lubricant (MQL) has been successfully introduced as an acceptable coolant strategy; however, its potential to dissipate heat is much lower than the one achieved using flood coolant. MQL-nano-cutting fluid is one of the suggested techniques to further improve the performance of MQL particularly when machining difficult-to-cut materials. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effects of two types of nano-cutting fluids on tool performance and chip morphology during turning of Inconel 718. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) gamma nanoparticles have been utilized as nano-additives. The novelty here lies on enhancing the MQL heat capacity using different nano-additives-based fluids in order to improve Inconel 718 machinability. In this investigation, both nano-fluids showed better results compared to the tests performed without any nano-additives. Significant changes in modes of tool wear and improvement in the intensity of wear progression have been observed when using nano-fluids. Also, the collected chips have been analyzed to understand the effects of adding nano-additives on the chip morphology. Finally, it has been found that MWCNT nano-fluid has shown better performance than Al2O3 nano-fluid.

Effects of nano-cutting fluids on tool performance and chip morphology during machining Inconel 718

Multi objective optimization using different methods of assigning weights to energy consumption responses, surface roughness and material removal rate during rough turning operation

Cooling techniques to improve the machinability and sustainability of light-weight alloys: A state-of-the-art review

Ti-6Al-4V is a difficult-to-grind material as chips tend to adhere to the grit materials of an abrasive wheel due to its chemical affinity. In the present work, it has been attempted to improve the grindability by application of small quantity cooling lubrication (SQCL) technology using nanofluids, namely, multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and alumina nanofluid. The suitability of nanofluids was experimentally evaluated in reciprocating surface grinding using a vitrified SiC wheel. Substantial improvement in grindability under the influence of MWCNT nanofluid (SQCL) could be achieved compared to soluble oil (flood). Reduction of specific grinding forces and specific energy was observed due to the combined effect of superior heat dissipation and lubrication abilities; when the latter one was realized through on-site rolling of MWCNT strands, inter-tubular slip and solid lubrication of the film adhered onto the wheel surface. These outperforming characteristics of MWCNT nanofluid helped in retaini...

Grinding of Ti-6Al-4V Under Small Quantity Cooling Lubrication Environment Using Alumina and MWCNT Nanofluids

WC-Co cermets (ceramic-metal composites) were ground by a resin bonded diamond grinding wheel using hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nano-aerosol to improve the grindability. This is a new generation grinding fluid and was produced by dispersing nano-sized hBN platelets in deionized water. Small quantity cooling-lubrication (SQCL) technology was employed to deliver hBN nanofluid in the form of nano-aerosol so that volumetric consumption rate could be kept at a very low value of 200 ml/h. The nanofluid, when separately characterized, demonstrated good lubrication and heat dissipation capability in reference with soluble oil, which is a commonly used cutting fluid for grinding. The superior tribological characteristics of hBN nanofluid were more pronounced at a high sliding speed of 1 m/s, as observed during a ball-on-disc test. However, the beneficial effect of using hBN nanofluid could be extracted more efficiently only in aggressive grinding condition. A clear drop in specific energy, favourable values of residual stress indicate the same. Prevalence of low grinding zone temperature was reflected through low specific energy values and finer but complex chip micromorphology. Overall the aqueous hBN nanofluid was proven to be a high performing grinding fluid suitable for SQCL application and WC-Co cermet grinding.

Grinding of WC-Co cermets using hexagonal boron nitride nano-aerosol

A lot of research has been undertaken in the area of conventional machining to study the effect of process parameters, tool geometry, machining environment and so on on machinability. But only rece...

Minimisation of specific cutting energy and back force in turning of AISI 1060 steel

In contrary to the common notion that MoS2 is ineffective in water environment, this study evidentially justifies the potential of aqueous MoS2 nanofluid as a cutting fluid in grinding application....

Suitability of aqueous MoS2 nanofluid for small quantity cooling lubrication–assisted diamond grinding of WC-Co cermets:

Small quantity cooling lubrication (SQCL) with commercially available metal working fluids (MWF) and nanofluids has been attempted successfully in machining and grinding. Solid lubricants also provided some benefits in grinding of metallic alloys. However, there are very few studies using molybdenum di-sulphide (MoS2) and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) dispersed nanofluids applied in SQCL mode in grinding. The aim of the present work is to experimentally study improvement in grinding of EN31 steel using alumina grinding wheel with aqueous MoS2 and hBN nanofluids. The grinding study is supported by detailed tribometry at 1 m/s sliding speed to reveal the possible reasons behind such improvement. MoS2 dispersed nanofluids provided minimum coefficient of friction in ball-on-disc test. It also provided the maximum reduction in specific grinding energy and improvement in surface finish with respect to flood cooling. hBN dispersed nanofluids could not match the performance of MoS2 dispersed nanofluids both in ball-on-disc and grinding experiments.

Sourabh Paul

Papers

Grinding of Ti-6Al-4V Under Small Quantity Cooling Lubrication Environment Using Alumina and MWCNT Nanofluids

Grinding of WC-Co cermets using hexagonal boron nitride nano-aerosol

Minimisation of specific cutting energy and back force in turning of AISI 1060 steel

Suitability of aqueous MoS2 nanofluid for small quantity cooling lubrication–assisted diamond grinding of WC-Co cermets:

An Experimental Evaluation of Solid Lubricant Based Nanofluids in Small Quantity Cooling and Lubrication during Grinding