Investigation of vegetable oil-based cutting fluids enhanced with nanoparticle additions in turning operations

Introduction. Currently, the use of vegetable oil-based cutting fluids with nanoparticles is being implemented in turning operations. These fluids provide a sustainable and high-performance solution by improving lubrication, cooling, and surface quality. The use of vegetable oil-based cutting fluids with nanoparticles also promotes an eco-friendly approach in the manufacturing industry. These fluids serve as an alternative to conventional cutting fluids, which are hazardous chemical mixtures that pose a risk to both the environment and the operator. The purpose of the work. The present study focuses on the use of cutting fluids based on environmentally friendly vegetable oils in the turning process. This work investigates the performance of turning AISI 1014 steel with various nanoparticle combinations and ratios. The methods of investigation. In this study, five different vegetable oils — corn oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, and neem oil — were used as base fluid. CuO, Al2O3, graphene, and powdered multi-walled carbon nanotubes were added to the base fluid to create nanofluids. Cutting fluids were developed with varying weight concentrations of 0.20 %, 0.40 %, 0.60 %, 0.80 %, and 1 %, and its performance when machining AISI 1014 steel was investigated. Results and Discussion. The results indicated that, among the vegetable oils, corn oil had the greatest effect on viscosity and thermal conductivity. Graphene nanoparticles showed promising results in reducing cutting force, temperature, and surface roughness. When using corn oil containing 0.8 wt. % graphene nanoparticles, a 104 N reduction in cutting force was observed, this is 29.8 % less than that achieved with pure corn oil. At a high concentration (1 wt. %), the reduction in load decreases due to significant agglomeration of nanoparticles. The optimal nanoparticle concentration in the base fluid (corn oil) is 0.8 wt. %.