Track: Sustainable Manufacturing

Abstract

Turning, as well as other types of mechanical cutting operations, are absolutely necessary for the machining of advanced cutting materials (Inconel718). For the manufacturing of aerospace components, pressure vessels, and race car engine parts, Inconel 718 superalloy has been widely used in the manufacturing industries, Due to its excellent mechanical properties such as high impact and tensile strength at very high temperatures, high-temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance. (Khanafer et al., 2020). But machining Inconel-718 is restricted to use in some industries due to the inability of tool material to survive for a longer period of time due to the work-hardened effect and it is having low thermal conductivity, due to this property, a huge amount of the cutting temperature dissipates towards the cutting tool instead of the cutting chip. When machining processes are performed, heat dissipation becomes a more difficult task. Because of this, the tool life and the quality of the machined surface are negatively affected. As a result of this, while machining advanced materials the Flood coolant (FC) cutting fluid was used in order to reduce the enormous amounts of heat that are produced at the cutting zone; however, the government has released restrictions on the usage of alternative cooling (FC) techniques to reduce its “effects on the atmosphere and the operator's health”(Gupta et al., 2021a). MQL is employed as a substitute for traditional cutting fluids since it reduces lubricant consumption, and environmental & health impacts. However, pure MQL cooling does not provide appropriate cooling performance. The introduction of eco-friendly vegetable oil (sunflower oil) and nanoparticles (Zinc Titanate) into the Minimum quantity lubrication led to significant improvements to the fluid's viscosity, thermal conductivity, and wettability which further reduces the cutting temperatures and cutting forces. In this research, a number of experiments were performed on Inconel-718 “under different cooling conditions such as dry machining, pure MQL, and MQL-nanofluid using the same cutting parameters (Depth of cut, feed, cutting speed)”(Tamang et al., 2018) with regard to surface roughness, and cutting temperatures.  An interesting result showed that the MQL-nanofluid technique was more effective in reducing cutting temperature and enhanced surface finish when compared to pure-MQL, dry cutting. Using Eco-Friendly cutting fluid with MQL shows promising outcomes in terms of sustainability and machining outputs.