Comparative Cutting Fluid Study on Optimum Grinding Parameters of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy Using Flood, Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL), and Nanofluid MQL (NMQL)

Abstract

Titanium alloys have been of paramount interest to the aerospace industry due to their attractive characteristics. However, these alloys are difficult to machine and require grinding post-processes for quality assurance of the products. Conventional grinding takes a long time and uses a flood coolant-lubrication technique, which is not cost effective nor environmentally friendly. Several studies have been performed to prove the viability and benefit of using Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) with vegetable or synthetic-ester fluids. This work aims to find the optimum grinding parameters of creep feed grinding Ti-6Al-4V with a green silicon carbide wheel, using a flood lubrication system with water-soluble synthetic oil, MQL with ester oil, and nano-MQL (NMQL) using alumina-nanopowder homogeneously dispersed within an ester oil. It is concluded that at 0.635 mm and 1.27 mm infeeds, the three lubrication methods performed similarly. At an infeed of 1.905 mm, MQL did not provide desirable quality, though NMQL and flood lubrication performed practically identically. At a cross feed of 0.254 mm, an infeed of 1.27 mm, and a table feed rate of 6.7 m/min, these grinding parameters provide a material removal rate of 2163 mm3/min with a surface roughness across (Ra) of 0.515 µm. These parameters provide the quickest material removal rate while still maintaining industrial quality. This conclusion is based on environmental, economic, and qualitative results.