Machining performance and sustainability analysis of Al₂O₃-CuO hybrid nanofluid MQL application for milling of Ti-6Al-4V

Abstract

Machining of Ti-6Al-4V presents challenges due to its low thermal conductivity, and conventional cutting fluids (CCF) are inadequate in providing a productive and sustainable solution. This study aims to achieve more sustainable and productive machining of Ti-6Al-4V by utilizing Al2O3 and CuO-added Nanofluid Minimum Quantity Lubrication (NMQL) individually and in hybrid form with different concentrations. A comparison is made with pure-MQL, CCF and dry conditions. The study consists of three stages. In the first stage, the physical properties of the coolants, like contact angle and surface tension, are investigated. The second stage involves slot milling operations, and various outputs including cutting forces, surface roughness, surface topography, surface finish, and subsurface microhardness are analyzed. In the last stage, a sustainability analysis is conducted based on the Pugh Matrix Approach. The results indicate that Al2O3-NMQL exhibits lower contact angles and surface tensions compared to other conditions. Furthermore, HNMQL applications result in lower cutting forces (up to 46.5%), surface roughness (up to 61.2%), and microhardness (up to 6.6%), while yielding better surface finish and topography compared to CCF. The sustainability analysis demonstrates that HNMQL application is the most suitable option for achieving sustainable machining of Ti-6Al-4V.