Enhancing high-speed CNC milling performance of Ti6Al4V alloy through the application of ZnO-Ag hybrid nanofluids

This research investigates the performance of high-speed CNC milling operations on Ti6Al4V alloy by employing a novel ZnO-Ag hybrid nanofluid. The study involves the preparation and characterization of nanofluids with varying concentrations of nanoparticles, focusing on thermal conductivity and stability. The machining experiments encompass four critical input parameters: Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) flow rate, cutting speed, nanofluid concentration, and feed rate. Performance evaluation is based on average surface roughness (Ra) and cutting temperature. Key findings include a remarkable 21.05% improvement in thermal conductivity for the ZnO-Ag-based sunflower oil at 0.2% volume concentration compared to 0.05% concentration. The prepared nanofluids exhibit good stability. Moreover, cutting speed and MQL flow rate emerge as significant contributors to Ra, accounting for 35.62% and 34.82%, respectively. Interestingly, MQL flow rate is identified as the most influential factor, surpassing even cutting speed. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images for tool wear reveals that the ZnO-Ag based sunflower oil reduced tool wear significantly. In conclusion, the proposed ZnO-Ag-based sunflower oil at 0.2% concentration emerges as the good best for sustainable high-speed machining of Ti6Al4V alloy.