Testing of Nanofluids and Their Machining Performance Evaluation

This paper is an attempt to evaluate the thermophysical properties and performance of vegetable oil-based nano-cutting fluids while turning American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)1040 steel. Nano boric acid particles in different proportions (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, and 1.25 % w/w) are dispersed in coconut oil. The nano-cutting fluids thus formulated are tested for density, thermal conductivity, and dynamic viscosity. Empirical relations are used to evaluate specific heat and heat transfer coefficients. These nanofluids are then applied during machining through minimum quantity lubrication technique. Microbial contamination and biodegradability tests are conducted to assess the quality of nano-cutting fluids. It is observed that the contribution of depth of cut is 46 % and the contribution of nanoparticle inclusions (NPI) is 31.29 % in minimizing the cutting temperatures. Optimum machining performance is influenced mainly by NPI followed by depth of cut, cutting speed, and then feed rate.