Effect of applied electric and magnetic fields on surface roughness in minimum quantity lubrication turning using Fe3O4 nano-ferrofluid

Purpose - First, the effect of magnetic field intensity and nano-ferrofluid concentrations on surface roughness was evaluated in magnetic minimum quantity lubrication (MMQL). Then, the effect of lubricant flow rate and nozzle position on surface roughness was investigated in MQL, MMQL, electrostatic MQL (EMQL) and electromagnetic MQL (EMMQL). Design/methodology/approach - This study examined the performance of MQL under magnetic and electric fields in turning AISI 304 stainless steel in terms of surface roughness and compared the results with those obtained from wet cutting and MQL turning operations. To prepare the nano-ferrofluid used in different states of MQL, Fe3O4 nanoparticles were added to the base fluid. Findings - The results showed that the surface roughness under the EMMQL technique decreased by 36% and 49.4% on average compared with wet and MQL techniques, respectively. The lubrication technique affected the surface roughness by 90.2%, whereas it was 8.3% for the lubricant flow rate. EMQL and EMMQL techniques had no significant difference in their effects on surface roughness. In the innovative MMQL technique, the nano-ferrofluid concentration of 6% and magnetic field intensity of 93 G resulted in lower surface roughness of the workpiece relative to other counterparts. Originality/value - Examining previously published studies showed that using nano-ferrofluids under a magnetic field for cooling purposes in machining processes have less considered by researchers. This study applies an innovative method of lubrication under the concurrent effect of magnetic and electric fields, called EMMQL, to improve the efficiency of MQL in machining hard-to-cut materials. For comprehensively inspecting the newly presented method, the effects of several parameters, including the nano-ferrofluid concentration, magnetic field intensity, lubricant flow rate and position of lubricant spray nozzle, on the surface roughness of workpiece in turning of AISI 304 stainless steel are investigated.