Cooling improvement for the machining process with the inclusion of nanoparticles using the experimental approach

Abstract

Machining of hard materials has always experienced challenges in their production process owing to several elements such as surface roughness, dimensional and geometrical tolerances, machining forces, longevity of the tools, and the generated heat during the operation. In order to tackle these technical problems, cutting tools, cutting fluids, and chipping strategies have undergone precise evaluation to facilitate the machining challenges. The current study is fixated on the assessment of cutting fluids and their significant efficacy on turning process. The desirable quality of a production part in machining processes is contingent upon the effectiveness of lubrication and cooling process during the turning operation. Hence, the tests have been done under various conditions regarding the cutting fluid for the cooling purpose. This study evaluates the efficacy of dispersion in the base fluid with volume fractions of 1.5 % and 3 % on temperature of the cutting tool in Mo40 steel turning operation, compared to the conditions utilizing coolant oil and conventional dry condition. Nanofluid minimum quantity lubrication (NMQL) strategy, as the main hindrance for immoderate use of cutting fluid, has been applied within the machining phenomena of Mo40 steel. Cutting speed and feed rates have been selected as the variable input parameters, for which the tests were performed and compared. The obtained results of this work revealed that employing nanofluid in machining operation led the cutting tool to experience an average reduction of about 60 % in the temperature range. Notable to mention, the growth in concnetration of the nanofluid intensifies temperature decrement of the cutting tool. In detail, the cutting zone temperature for 3 % volume concentration found to be 2 °C less than that of 1.5 %. Furthermore, using nanoparticles improved the roughness quality of the workpiece, and tool wear. Tool geometry, tool coating, along with various nanofluids are other factors, for which the experiment can be implemented as the future study.