Tribomechanical performance of MgO–ZnO nanoparticles as lubricating additives in the microextrusion process

Abstract

The interfacial friction between tool and workpiece is unpredictable in the micromanufacturing process. It has a major influence on process workability, which determines product formability. In this study, the microtribological behavior of MgO–ZnO mixed metal oxide nanoadditive lubricant with dry friction is investigated in the microextrusion process. In the microextrusion of aluminum 6063 gear, the extrusion force reduced significantly upon using the nanoadditive lubricant. The surface roughness result shows the improved surface quality due to the existence of nanoadditives in the micromanufacturing process. The quantitative deviation due to interfacial friction is resolved with different coefficients by performing the numerical evaluation. This research contributes to the fundamental understanding about the tribological and mechanical behavior of nanoadditive lubricant in the microextrusion process and facilitates in minimizing the interfacial friction.