Minimum Quantity Lubrication Research Articles

Investigation of the Effects of Cutting Fluid Application with Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) Method on the Machinability of Pure Titanium

Machining is one of the widely used methods in today's technology and there are many parameters that affect the machinability of the produced product. In the machining process, the machinability of the product depends on parameters such as feed rate, depth of cut, cutting speed and cutting fluid. The use of cutting fluid during the process has advantages such as improving surface quality, but also disadvantages such as increased cost and environmental damage. Due to these disadvantages of cutting fluid in manufacturing processes, alternative methods have been developed. The method called minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) not only reduces cost but also improves machinability. In this study, the machinability of titanium turning was evaluated with main cutting force, surface roughness and temperature measured in the primary cutting zone data. MQL method was used in the study and Taguchi L9 model was applied. The results were compared between dry cutting and MQL atmospheres. The reliability of the data and the degree of influence of the parameters were analyzed by ANOVA. In this study, the shear force data obtained in the dry shear atmosphere were higher than the data obtained in the MQL method. In addition, the surface roughness values obtained in dry cutting atmosphere were also relatively high. The optimum cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut values for the process were determined as 60 m/min, 0.05 mm/rev and 0.5 mm, respectively.

Multi-objective optimization and experimental investigation of friction stir welding under Minimum quantity lubrication

Aluminium is widely used in the aerospace, marine, and transportation industries. However, achieving defect-free, high-quality welds using conventional welding processes is challenging. Friction stir welding (FSW) is a promising solid-state welding process that is environmentally friendly, produces high-quality welds, and improves the mechanical and other properties of aluminium and other lightweight materials. This study examines the welding force, power consumption, and surface roughness of friction stir-welded 6061-T651 and 5052-H32 aluminium alloys under similar and dissimilar circumstances using the minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) process. The main variables of the MQL system, including flow rate, nozzle orientation, and nozzle diameter, were analysed using analysis of variance. A multi-objective model was used to predict the optimal levels, and grey relational analysis techniques were applied for optimization. Furthermore, this study provides a clear mechanism for using MQL during FSW. The results indicate that a flow rate of 7.5 ml/h reduces welding forces by 25% and 4% compared to 5 ml/h and 10 ml/h, respectively. Additionally, the 7.5 ml/h flow rate reduces power consumption by 20% and 10% compared to 5 ml/h and 10 ml/h, respectively. In addition, it improves the surface quality. The orientation nozzle angle of 60° yielded slightly better results than those at the other levels. Similarly, for the nozzle diameter, both 2.5 mm and 3.75 mm showed slightly better results in terms of welding forces, power consumption, and surface roughness.

Viscoelastic Water-Based Lubricants with Nopal Cactus Mucilage as Green Metalworking Fluids

Recent green manufacturing demands have boosted the development of new biodegradable lubricants to replace petroleum-based lubricants. In this regard, water-based lubricants have been at the vanguard of recent research for a wide range of industrial applications, including metalworking fluids (MWFs). In this work, we present an experimental investigation on the performance of novel green MWFs based on aqueous nopal mucilage solutions. For this, fully biodegradable solutions with different mucilage concentrations (2.29, 4.58, and 6.85 mg/mL) were evaluated in terms of rheological, tribological, thermal stability, and turning (minimum quantity lubrication) performance and compared to a commercial semisynthetic oil-based MWF (Cimstar 60). Mucilage solutions exhibited viscoelastic shear-thinning behavior, which was enhanced along with mucilage concentration. The solution with the highest mucilage content studied resulted in the lowest wear, friction, and temperature in comparison to the other solutions and neat water in extreme pressure four-ball tests and a similar level of lubricity as compared to the commercial MWF in cutting tests. This performance is associated with the enhanced viscosity and elasticity of the solution, as well as the contents of lipids with fatty acids in the mucilage. Overall, the present results reveal the relevance of the viscoelastic behavior of the lubricant, elasticity in particular, in lubrication processes and point to nopal mucilage as an effective green additive to produce innocuous MWFs.

Machining effects and multi-objective optimization in Inconel 718 turning with unitary and hybrid nanofluids under MQL

Designing tooling and cooling systems to prevent cutting tool damage is crucial while machining difficult-to-cut nickel alloys. This study investigates the machining effects during turning Inconel 718 using unitary aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and hybrid aluminum oxide+multi-walled carbon nanotube type (Al2O3+MWCNT) nanofluids under minimum quantity lubrication (NFMQL) through mathematical modeling and multi-objective optimization. The worn-out tools were analyzed for damage and wear mechanisms through images captured using optical and scanning electron microscopes. The study indicates that hybrid nanofluids outperform unitary nanofluids, which could be attributed to the better lubricating and cooling capabilities of MWCNT and the higher surface tension and thermal conductivity of Al2O3 nanoparticles. The cutting parameters were optimized by combining the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and genetic algorithm. The study reveals an average error of less than 10% between experimental and predicted responses from the proposed optimization model. This study found lower cutting force up to 80 N, surface roughness of 0.6–0.7 µm, and tool life over 10 minutes with a cutting speed of 50–70 m/min and a lower feed and depth of cut of 0.1 mm/rev and 0.2 mm, respectively, using a hybrid Al2O3+MWCNT nanofluid under NFMQL conditions.

Experimental Study on Surface Microscopic Characteristics of scCO2-MQL Milled γ-TiAl Alloy

γ-TiAl alloy has high specific strength and excellent low-temperature resistance, but its cutting performance is poor. In this study, the four aspects of residual stress, plastic deformation, surface phase transformation, and work hardening were analyzed via experiments involving supercritical carbon dioxide minimum quantity lubrication (scCO2-MQL) and dry milling of γ-TiAl alloy. The results show that the residual stresses generated during the milling process can be significantly improved under the scCO2-MQL condition and correspondingly reduced in depth from the surface, while the plastic deformation layer is significantly reduced, and the maximum reduction of β-phase volume fraction is 12.43% under the scCO2-MQL condition compared with the dry cutting condition. With increasing cutting speed in the range of 30–90 m/min, the depth of the hardened layer gradually decreased, while increasing the feed rate caused increased microhardness.

Exploring the viability of alternative cooling-lubrication strategies in machining processes: A comprehensive review on the performance and sustainability assessment

This paper explores the challenges of machining difficult-to-cut metals using tools like coated carbide, ceramics, and CBN under dry conditions, addressing issues such as heat generation, tool wear and friction, chip evacuation, surface integrity, vibration, and chatter. Though cutting fluids have historically improved machinability, environmental concerns, such as toxicity and non-biodegradability, are significant. Researchers aim to enhance the economic and ecological aspects of machining by reducing cutting fluid usage. This paper provides an overview of the performance assessment and sustainability evaluation of various cooling and lubrication methods during the machining of hard-to-machine as well as difficult-to-cut metals. Additionally, the literature review highlights various environmentally friendly cooling strategies, such as minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) and cryogenic arrangements. According to the results of this review, the utilization of various cooling and lubrication technologies has the potential to enhance both sustainability and machinability properties while prolonging the lifespan of cutting tools. The findings also show that there is a lot of room for improvement in terms of optimizing and making these cooling-lubrication solutions more practical and effective.

Optimization of Controlling Factors for TC4 Alloy With Al2O3–Graphene Hybrid Nanofluid

Abstract Nowadays, mixing nanoparticles into cutting fluids is much more common to improve lubrication and cooling properties. Many studies have been carried out in the past to assess the machining performance using nanofluids. However, limited studies are based on hybrid nanoparticles. This work estimates TC4 alloy machining performance using a hybrid nanofluid. The minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) cooling technique is employed here to investigate machinability. The machining performance of TC4 alloy is estimated by taking surface roughness and cutting temperature as response parameters. Hybrid nanofluid is formed by adding nanoparticles of graphene into alumina (Al2O3) based nanofluid in a fixed volumetric proportion (20:80) and as base fluid, soybean oil is used. In addition, machining performance is investigated in terms of thermophysical properties by taking weight percent of concentrations of nanoparticles as 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00, respectively. Significant improvements are observed in thermophysical properties with the hybridization of Al2O3 and graphene (Al2O3–GnP). Experimentation and parametric optimization are carried out using Taguchi's method. Controlling factors of hybrid nanofluid of alumina–graphene and monotype nanofluid of alumina are compared. The obtained results show that these parameters significantly reduce using hybrid nanofluid.

Comparison of turning process performance using modified cutting inserts under minimum quantity lubrication

ABSTRACT While machining of high-strength alloy steel materials, poor surface quality and decreased tool life are result by an increase in the cutting zone temperature close to the machining region. To overcome this, surface texture with green manufacturing environment is an alternate path to enhancing machining performance. In the present work, novel Parallel Grooved Textured Tools (PGT) was developed and studied the performance of so developed tools. Further, the Untextured Tool (UT) and PGT performance was compared while machining EN24 alloy steel under Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) condition. It was perceived from result that textured tools reduced the cutting temperature (CT), rake wear (RW), flank wear (FW), surface roughness (Ra) and cutting force (CF) up to 18.96%, 18.79%, 24.31%, 12.69%, and18.96% respectively compared to UT.

A review on minimum quantity lubrication in machining of different alloys and superalloys using nanofluids

A review on minimum quantity lubrication in machining of different alloys and superalloys using nanofluids

Investigation and optimization of multiple objectives by hybrid evolutionary algorithms for turning of Nimonic 80A under nano MQL environment

ABSTRACT Nimonic80A is one of the hard-to-cut superalloy materials. However, machining the same remains difficult. The present study’s objective is attained by taking surface quality and tool wear as output core attributes of machining by deploying conventional statistical approaches and meta-heuristic optimisation algorithms to find optimal input attributes. Optimal input parameters were found using ANN hybridised with meta-heuristic optimisation algorithms, considering cutting acceleration as one of the response attributes along with cutting force (Fz), flank wear (Vb) and surface roughness (Ra). In this process, nanofluids were formulated by suspensions of graphene oxide into rice bran oil as the minimum quantity lubrication (MQL). Experiments were conducted based on L27 Taguchi experimental trials, and the experimental results revealed that minimum feed rate and cutting velocity reduced the cutting force, surface roughness, and tool flank wear up to 51% during nano-MQL turning conditions compared to dry machining. Thus, an artificial neural network (ANN) was used to generate the model for each machining response, which was further interfaced with multiobjective particle swarm optimisation (MOPSO) and multiobjective mayfly algorithms (MOMA) as a hybrid algorithm for finding optimal parameters. The optimal results were compared, and ANN-MOMA was found to be better.

Machinability of Inconel 718 using unitary and hybrid nanofluids under minimum quantity lubrication

ABSTRACT In the current study, unitary and hybrid nanofluids are used with minimal lubrication to examine Inconel 718’s machinability. Nanofluids are obtained by dispersing unitary and mixed amounts of aluminium oxide, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and graphene nanoparticles into palm oil. Initially, turning experiments were performed with pure palm oil and different unitary and hybrid nanofluids using differently coated carbide tools to obtain the best combination of the type of nanofluid(s) and coated tool for the lowest tool wear. Further, the cutting forces, surface roughness, chip thickness ratio, chip morphology, and shear angle were obtained, varying with the cutting parameters for the best combination of nanofluid(s) and the tool. The analysis of worn-out tools has been performed through images captured using optical and scanning electron microscopes. The study indicates that aluminium titanium nitride-coated tools outperform titanium aluminium nitride-coated tools with hybrid aluminium oxide and multi-walled carbon nanotube-based nanofluid, followed by a unitary aluminium oxide-based nanofluid. It could be attributed to the higher thermal conductivity and surface tension of aluminium oxide nanoparticles and the better lubricating and cooling capabilities of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Comparatively lower performance was observed with graphene-based nanofluid due to severe agglomeration that adversely affected the homogeneity of the fluid.

Analytical Modelling of Cutting Force in End-Milling with Minimum Quantity Lubrication

Analytical Modelling of Cutting Force in End-Milling with Minimum Quantity Lubrication

Effect of cutting conditions on tool wear and wear mechanism in micro-milling of additively manufactured titanium alloy

This study investigated the effects of different cutting conditions, including dry, flooded, chilled air, and the minimum quantity lubrication (MQL), on cutting forces, burr width, tool wear, and surface roughness using constant cutting parameters. The results showed that the minimum cutting forces were obtained with MQL, while the cutting forces obtained with dry and chilled air were 97% and 80% higher, respectively. During dry cutting, the tool diameter decreased by 3.4%, whereas in MQL and flood cutting, the tool diameter reduction was 2.2%. The minimum corner and edge radius change were achieved in MQL-assisted cutting. At the beginning of the cutting process, the difference between the Sa values obtained for dry and flood cutting was more than 200%, while at the end of the cutting process, this difference was about 140%. It was observed that chilled air has a positive effect on surface roughness. There is an average difference of 21% in burr widths between up and down milling.

Enhancing machining performance of EN24 steel with CVD diamond coated tool and minimal quantity lubrication

The research aims to investigate the effect of chemical vapour deposition (CVD) diamond coatings on cemented tungsten carbide (WC-Co) inserts when machining EN24 steel. In addition to the diamond coating, the research also incorporates the use of minimal quantity lubrication (MQL) technique during the machining process. The research involves experimental studies to evaluate the machinability characteristics of EN24 steel using tungsten carbide cutting inserts with diamond coatings and MQL. Diamond-coated tools are extremely effective in machining EN24 steel, particularly in applications requiring high precision, wear resistance, and long tool life. They are commonly used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing, where quality and durability of the machined components are critical. L12 orthogonal array was used to design experiments with the type of cutting insert used, test condition and cutting speed as control factors. Various parameters such as tool wear, cutting temperature and surface roughness were measured and compared with conventional machining techniques. The results reveal that average flank wear of cutting inserts decreased by 67.4% as a result of MQL when compared with dry machining conditions. Average flank wear decreased by 77.6% after diamond coating were applied compared with uncoated inserts. Diamond coated inserts subjected to MQL exhibit largest percentage reduction of 74.11% for surface roughness when compared to uncoated inserts. The average cutting temperature decreased by 53.09% due to MQL compared to dry machining.

Parametric optimization to establish eco-friendly nanofluid minimum quantity lubrication (NMQL) practice for turning superalloy Inconel 718

Purpose The purpose of this paper, an experimental study, is to investigate the optimal machining parameters for turning of nickel-based superalloy Inconel 718 under eco-friendly nanofluid minimum quantity lubrication (NMQL) environment to minimize cutting tool flank wear (Vb) and machined surface roughness (Ra). Design/methodology/approach The central composite rotatable design approach under response surface methodology (RSM) is adopted to prepare a design of experiments plan for conducting turning experiments. Findings The optimum value of input turning parameters: cutting speed (A), feed rate (B) and depth of cut (C) is found as 79.88 m/min, 0.1 mm/rev and 0.2 mm, respectively, with optimal output response parameters: Vb = 138.633 µm and Ra = 0.462 µm at the desirability level of 0.766. Feed rate: B and cutting speed: A2 are the leading model variables affecting Vb, with a percentage contribution rate of 12.06% and 43.69%, respectively, while cutting speed: A and feed rate: B are the significant factors for Ra, having a percentage contribution of 38.25% and 18.03%, respectively. Results of validation experiments confirm that the error between RSM predicted and experimental observed values for Vb and Ra is 3.28% and 3.75%, respectively, which is less than 5%, thus validating that the formed RSM models have a high degree of conformity with the obtained experimental results. Practical implications The outcomes of this research can be used as a reference machining database for various metal cutting industries to establish eco-friendly NMQL practices during the turning of superalloy Inconel 718 to enhance cutting tool performance and machined surface integrity. Originality/value No study has been communicated till now on the turning of Inconel 718 under NMQL conditions using olive oil blended with multi-walled carbon nanotubes-based nanofluid. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-10-2023-0317/

Effect of machining parameters in turning under different cooling conditions

ABSTRACT Flood lubrication is often replaced with minimal quantity lubrication (MQL) because of its eco-friendly properties. Surface smoothness, chip removal from cutting regions, improving the tool life, friction reduction at tool/work/chip tip, and temperature reduction during machining are all objectives of the lubricant. Nevertheless, choosing the correct cutting fluid for MQL is seen to be the most pressing issue, even if there are many factors to consider, such as industrial health concerns and environmental contamination. Tool wear, cutting temperature, and surface quality were the focus of this study on machining performance. The experimental settings consist of three machining conditions: oil MQL (OM), ionic liquid (IL) MQL, and LN2. Additionally, there are two various feed rates and three different cutting speeds. Results showed that compared to IL MQL and OM, using LN2 as a cooling medium dramatically reduced cutting temperature, surface roughness, and flank wear. All things considered, the waspaloy is best machined in an LN2 environment.

Towards sustainable manufacturing: Multiple optimization of surface roughness Ra, flank wear Vb in MQL-assisted milling of Titanium Alloy Ti-6Al-4V

This research focuses on the sustainable optimization of the milling process for Titanium Alloy Ti-6Al-4V using Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) assistance. This experimental research investigates the effects of cutting parameters and lubrication conditions on the surface roughness ([Formula: see text]) and flank wear ([Formula: see text]) in the milling process of Titanium Alloy Ti-6Al-4V. The study aims to evaluate the influence of cutting speed ([Formula: see text]), feed rate ([Formula: see text]) and depth of cut ([Formula: see text]) on the selected machining performance indicators. The experiments were carried out using a DMG Mori Seiki DMU50 CNC center, and the workpiece samples were measured at [Formula: see text]. Three different lubrication conditions were employed, including dry machining, conventional flood cooling and Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) using peanut oil. The cutting parameters were varied based on a Taguchi L9 orthogonal array design to explore the main effects of each parameter on [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The results reveal that cutting speed ([Formula: see text]) has the most significant influence on surface roughness, followed by feed rate ([Formula: see text]), while the impact of depth of cut ([Formula: see text] is negligible in comparison. Conversely, the coolant mode has the most significant impact on flank wear ([Formula: see text]), followed by feed rate ([Formula: see text]) and depth of cut ([Formula: see text]), while the influence of cutting speed ([Formula: see text] is relatively minor. Under the same cutting parameters, transitioning from dry machining to MQL led to a sharp decrease in [Formula: see text] from 170 to 100[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m, and it increased to approximately 145[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m when switching to flood cooling. Additionally, increasing the feed rate from 0.02 to 0.06[Formula: see text]mm/tooth reduced [Formula: see text] from around 135 to 120[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m, but it significantly rose to approximately 165[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m when the feed rate was further increased. Furthermore, the application of MQL with peanut oil as a lubricant and coolant demonstrated improvements in surface finish and reduced tool wear compared to dry and conventional flood cooling. The MQL approach led to better machining performance with lower [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] values. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the effects of cutting parameters and lubrication conditions on surface roughness and flank wear in the milling process of Titanium Alloy Ti-6Al-4V. The findings offer practical guidelines for optimizing machining conditions to achieve desired surface quality and extend tool life while considering the environmental benefits of employing MQL in the manufacturing process.

Sustainable machining of superalloy in minimum quantity lubrication environment: leveraging GEP-PSO hybrid optimization algorithm

Sustainable machining of superalloy in minimum quantity lubrication environment: leveraging GEP-PSO hybrid optimization algorithm

A STUDY ON THE MACHINABILITY OF ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY TURNING OF TITANIUM GRADE 2 ALLOY

Abstract This study focuses on environmentally responsible and sustainable manufacturing, where heat removal is critical. Various cooling and lubrication technologies are employed in manufacturing strategies, and although minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) systems are advantageous, they are not widely adopted in the industry. Recently, cutting fluids reinforced with nanoparticles has gained attention. The study investigates the machinability of Ti gr. 2 titanium alloys with different cutting parameters and lubrication/cooling systems. Cutting fluids are essential in heat removal and irregularity prevention, reducing friction in the cutting zone, lowering cutting forces and vibrations, and improving tribological conditions during machining operations. Cutting forces increase with the cut and feed rate depth, resulting in higher energy consumption. Surface quality decreases with increasing feed rate, but MQL and NMQL (nanoparticle-reinforced MQL) perform better than dry machining. SEM images indicate that cutting tools in dry environments experience more flank wear, whereas MQL and NMQL result in crater wear. High feed rates in MQL/NMQL environments cause sudden and fractured chip formation, which affects worker safety and health. Ti gr. 2 titanium alloys have potential applications in various industrial components, and the NMQL, MQL, and dry systems used in the study are non-hazardous and environmentally friendly.

Probing the tribology and drilling performance of high performance cutting fluid on Inconel 690 superalloy by minimum quantity lubrication technology

This article uses minimum quantity lubrication technology to replace traditional machining. A mixed nanofluid cutting fluid MNFCF was prepared using base oil, LINN4444 ionic liquid, and nanoparticles as raw materials, and its tribological and drilling properties were studied. In the tribological performance test, the friction coefficient of the mixed nanofluid MNFCF is only 0.13. Compared with the control, the wear amount of MNFCF has decreased by about 75%, indicating that MNFCF has good anti friction and wear performance. Similarly, in the drilling performance test, the drilling test temperature of MNFCF cutting fluid decreased by 36.5% compared to the same. After drilling and testing, there was almost no BUE, BUL, or wear on the surface of the tool, with only a small amount of adhesive observed. The results indicate that MNFCF has good potential in drilling Inconel 690 high-temperature alloy.