Bio-dielectrics to improve the performance of electro discharge machining – an investigation for cleaner production opportunities

Abstract

ABSTRACT To tackle the challenges of environmentally friendly dielectric fluid, the current research focuses on the diverse biodegradable oils that are utilised as dielectric fluids in electro-discharge machining (EDM) processes. When it comes to machining extremely hard materials, EDM is a cutting-edge, non-traditional technology. As part of this research, Ti-6Al-4 V material has been machined in two phases: the first phase, using conventional EDM oil, and the second phase, utilising four distinct bio-dielectric fluids. Comparisons have been made between EDM oil and other bio-dielectric fluids in terms of machining performance measures such as material removal rates (MRR), tool wear rate (TWR), and surface roughness (SR). The primary goal of this research is to identify an appropriate bio-dielectric fluid that will be environmentally acceptable, cost-effective, and provide better machining performance when compared to other dielectric fluids on the market. When the MRR, TWR, and SR are taken into account, mixed vegetable oil is found to be the best bio-dielectric fluid, and in cases where only the MRR is considered, sunflower oil is the best dielectric. It was discovered that the surface obtained with sunflower oil is the best in terms of crack size and number of cracks when compared to other dielectric fluids.