Characterization of the performance of microbial-based metalworking fluids in grinding using cell analogues

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In grinding, the applied metal working fluid plays a decisive role in terms of minimizing (i) process energy consumption and (ii) thermal impact on surface and subsurface of the workpiece owing to lubrication and cooling effect of the fluid. For microbial-based metalworking fluids (MWFs), the presence of bacterial cells has been shown to be beneficial for MWF performance in grinding. The interaction of the cell bodies with other components of MWFs and their influence on the performance in grinding operations has not been investigated so far due to the difficulty of ensuring defined boundary conditions. As a novel approach, the present work investigates the individual influence of the presence of cell analogues and other MWF properties on the performance of water-based MWF in surface grinding of ball bearing steel. The evaluation is based on the specific material removal rate, which, when exceeded in the process, results in the onset of white layer formation. It has been shown that the physical presence of bacterial cells and extracellular polymeric substances have positive effects, while droplet size has only a minor influence on MWF performance.