Influence of nanoparticle concentration in nanofluid MQL on cutting forces, tool wear, chip morphology when milling of Inconel 718

Nanofluid minimum quantity lubrication (NFMQL) has been gaining popularity as a means of improving superalloy machinability and resolving health-related and environmental issues caused by conventional cutting fluids. In this study, Inconel 718 was machined with vegetable oil-based MQL containing varying weights of Al2O3 (aluminum oxide) nanoparticles. Tool wear, cutting forces, chip morphology, and average surface roughness were investigated in relation to the feed rate, the cutting speed, and the machining environment. The outcome indicates that surface roughness and cutting forces are improved by approximately 30% and 25%, respectively, when using 4 weight percentage (wt% ) nanoparticles in MQL compared to the pure MQL (0 wt%). The present study also investigated various factors associated with chip morphology, such as peak, pitch, and valleys, which affect machining performance. It was found that 4 wt% NFMQL resulted in significant improvements in chip morphology. Furthermore, the chip morphology and tool wear were examined under various cutting conditions in this study, and nanoparticles at 4 wt% showed optimal results.