Tool wear patterns when turning of titanium alloy using sustainable lubrication strategies

A key area of research in sustainable machining is the search for environmentally benign cooling strategies. Vegetable oils have often been proposed as sustainable alternative to the conventional synthetic emulsion coolants. Techniques like dry and cryogenic machining, MQL and MQCL have also been proposed. The current study investigates the effect of six different strategies on the flank tool wear during turning of titanium Ti-6Al-4v using uncoated carbide tool at two levels of speed and feed. The mechanisms of tool wear are discussed. The use of rapeseed vegetable oil in MQL and MQCL configuration turns out to be an overall sustainable alternative at low feed and speed. Thus confirming the promise predicted in the use of vegetable oil as a lubricant for machining. At high speed and feed, cryogenic machining is more suitable for sustainable machining of Titanium.