The current demand for surface finishing processes that are both technically proficient and environmentally friendly is increasing, necessitating the advancement of more efficient sustainable methods. Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) provides excellent lubrication in the tool-work interaction but insufficient cooling impact. Besides, cryogenic enhances the chilling effect but has inadequate lubrication. This research revealed the synergistic impact of hybrid CryoMQL with eco-friendly Al2O3 NFs while grinding AISI D2 tool steel. CryoMQL facilitates the application of MQL-based soybean oil and deionized water (SO+DW) emulsion with 0.5 wt% and 1 wt% concentration of Al2O3 NPs and liquid nitrogen (LN2) through two individual nozzles in the cutting region. The results indicated that CryoMQL reduced grinding force (tangential force, Ft, and normal force, Fn), specific grinding energy (Ug), surface roughness (Ra), and grinding temperature (Tg) by 3.64–25.66 % in Ft, 3.52–12.87 % in Fn, 3.64–25.66 % in Ug, 8.81–25.02 % in Ra and 57.59–58.30 % in Tg, respectively, compared to MQL environment at 0.04 mm downfeed and 150 mm/s table feed rate. Eventually, it was observed that 1 wt% Al2O3 NFs improve Ft, Fn, Ug, Ra and Tg by up to 32.71 %, 20.33 %, 32.71 %, 23.55 %, and 6.81 % in comparison to 0.5 wt% Al2O3 NFs in the CryoMQL mode. The effectiveness of Al2O3 nanofluids with CryoMQL has resulted in good tribological conditions in the grinding zone with enhanced cooling/lubricating action of vegetable oil. Furthermore, negligible chip adhesion over finished surfaces was seen with 0.5 wt% and 1 wt% Al2O3 NFs under CryoMQL grinding. This study provides numerous scientific assistance in the automotive and tooling sectors, such as a better selection of environmentally friendly coolants and sustainable parameters for excellent surface properties, to provide the solution to highly complex and close tolerances of tool steel parts using CryoMQL finishing.
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