Experimental Investigation of Nanoalumina-sunflower Oil Fluid as Cutting Fluid in Machining Process

The current goal in manufacturing industries is to achieve clean and eco-friendly machining. Researchers are exploring cutting tool inserts with textured rake faces combined with solid lubricants to promote a cleaner machining process. However, solid lubricants present challenges, including difficulties in supply methodology and limited durability at high temperatures. Nanofluids are gaining attention as a sustainable alternative to conventional cutting fluids in manufacturing industries, with increased focus on their potential benefits. To address this issue, two approaches have been explored. The first involves coating textured cutting inserts with a titanium nitride (TiN) ceramic layer, while the second approach uses a nano cutting fluid, which is a mixture of vegetable oil and nano powder. A micro hole pattern texture is introduced to the rake face using Electric Discharge Drilling (EDD) to enhance the dimensional accuracy of the micro holes. Aluminium Metal Matrix Composite (Al-MMC) with MWCNT is used as workpiece material. The machining performance is analyzed based on input parameters such as machining speed, feed rate, and depth of cut, with surface roughness and power consumption as the output parameters. The results conclude that machining performance is improved with nano cutting fluid compared to ceramic-coated and solid lubricant-filled textured tool inserts, showing a 7% to 10% reduction in surface roughness and a 9% to 20% decrease in power consumption when using textured inserts. The challenges of solid lubrication are overcome through the use of a nano cutting fluid environment and TiN ceramic-coated tools.