Investigation of the Effects of CNC Nanoparticle-Added Nanofluids on the Machinability of Cupral 4M Alloy

The machinability of copper-nickel-based alloys, such as Cupral 4M, is known to be quite challenging in the manufacturing industry due to their high thermal conductivity, sticky chip formation, and susceptibility to tool wear. Conventional cooling and lubrication methods are insufficient for improving the machinability of these materials, resulting in a negative impact on machinability metrics such as production quality and tool life. In this study, the effects of adding 0.5 wt% CNC nanopowder to the MQL fluid on the milling process of Cupral 4M material were investigated. The experiments were conducted under two different cutting speeds (125-150 m/min), two different feed rates (0.04-0.06 mm/rev), and three different cooling/lubrication conditions (dry, pure MQL, and CNC nanoparticle MQL). As a result of the experiment, surface roughness, tool wear, and energy consumption were measured, and the obtained data were compared. The addition of CNC nanopowder to MQL fluid provided significant improvements (up to 66% in surface quality, 39% in tool wear, and 10% in energy consumption) in all three results compared to dry and MQL conditions. These results indicate that the addition of CNC nanoparticles has a friction-reducing and tribofilm-protecting effect in the cutting zone. This study fills one of the essential gaps in the literature on improving the sustainable millability of Cupral 4M material and reveals the effectiveness of nanoparticle-added MQL fluids.