Evaluation of the Role of Dry and MQL Regimes on Machining and Sustainability Index of Strenx 900 Steel

Abstract

Sustainable technologies draw attention in the machining industry thanks to their contributions in many aspects such as ecological, economic, and technological. Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) is one of these techniques that enable to convey of the high pressurized cutting fluid toward the cutting zone as small oil particulates. This study examines the potency of MQL technology versus dry conditions on the machining quality during the milling of structural Strenx 900 steel within the sustainability index. High strength and toughness properties make this steel a hard-to-cut material providing an important opportunity to test the performances of dry and MQL environments. The outcomes of the experimental data demonstrated that MQL is superior in enhancing the quality of significant machining characteristics namely surface roughness (up to 35%), flank wear (up to 94%), wear mechanisms, cutting energy (up to 28%), and cutting temperatures (up to 14%). Furthermore, after analyzing the main headings of the sustainable indicators, MQL provided the same (+5) desirability value with a dry (+5) medium. This experimental work presents a comparative approach for improved machinability of industrially important materials by questioning the impact of sustainable methods.