Minimum Quantity Lubrication: Environmental Alternatives in Processing

A special issue of Lubricants (ISSN 2075-4442).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (21 June 2023) | Viewed by 24175

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
Interests: advanced manufacturing; additive manufacturing; systainabile machining; machinability of difficult-to-cut materials
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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Dubai P.O. Box 341055, United Arab Emirates
Interests: machinability investigation of difficult-to-cut materials; sustainable/environmentally friendly machining; development and optimization of custom-made cutting tools; computer-aided designing and manufacturing; additive manufacturing; sustainable automation with focus on Industry 4.0
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cutting fluid is used to cool and lubricate the cutting zone during machining operation. However, the environmental and health consequences of flood coolants have motivated manufacturers to seek alternative lubrication methods. Alternatives to conventional cooling may also have economic benefits, since flood cooling is inherently wasteful. This Special Issue aims to review the state of the art in machining studies using minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) to investigate recent advancements in MQL and to explore its benefits as an environmentally friendly lubrication strategy. This Special Issue will be the first of its kind and will discuss the latest developments worldwide in MQL, an environmentally friendly lubricant in machining.

Dr. Abdelkrem Eltaggaz
Dr. Salman Pervaiz
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • minimum quantity lubrication (MQL)
  • environmentally friendly lubrication
  • sustainable machining
  • vegetable oil

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 9052 KiB  
Article
Effects of Machining Parameters of C45 Steel Applying Vegetable Lubricant with Minimum Quantity Cooling Lubrication (MQCL)
by Mayur A. Makhesana, Prashant J. Bagga, Kaushik M. Patel and Jose J. Taha-Tijerina
Lubricants 2023, 11(8), 332; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants11080332 - 5 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1882
Abstract
One of the most significant performance indicators for measuring the machinability of materials is tool wear and surface roughness. Choosing the best combination of cutting parameters can help reduce production costs, which is what the manufacturing industry is interested in. At the same [...] Read more.
One of the most significant performance indicators for measuring the machinability of materials is tool wear and surface roughness. Choosing the best combination of cutting parameters can help reduce production costs, which is what the manufacturing industry is interested in. At the same time, industries are always looking for an alternative to conventional flood cooling since its use creates an environmental burden and health concerns for the operators. Therefore, vegetable oil-based minimum quantity cooling lubrication (MQCL) is considered a cutting environment. Sunflower oil is utilized as base fluid in MQCL and applied to the cutting zone through a nozzle. The turning experiments are conducted on C45 material which is widely used in various industrial applications, including numerous automotive components. Since flood cooling is widely utilized in machining C45, it is the present-day need to assess alternative cooling and lubricating approaches to avoid the adverse effects of flood cooling. The Taguchi method was used in the present work to minimize surface roughness and tool wear. L9 orthogonal array was constructed, and experiments were performed on C45 steel using coated carbide cutting tools. The statistical approach is utilized to evaluate the effect of cutting parameters on output responses. The optimal cutting settings for cutting speed, feed, and depth of cut to minimize surface roughness are 100 m/min, 0.18 mm/rev, 0.150 mm, and 80 m/min, 0.18 mm/rev, and 0.150 mm for tool wear. According to the findings, cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut varied surface roughness by 1.9%, 78.3%, and 14.04%, and tool wear by around 43.8%, 37.9%, and 6.3%, respectively. The outcomes can be useful to metal-cutting industries to identify the combination of machining parameters with vegetable oil-based MQCL. Full article
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17 pages, 7078 KiB  
Article
Comparative Cutting Fluid Study on Optimum Grinding Parameters of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy Using Flood, Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL), and Nanofluid MQL (NMQL)
by Jose Jaime Taha-Tijerina and Immanuel A. Edinbarough
Lubricants 2023, 11(6), 250; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants11060250 - 6 Jun 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1964
Abstract
Titanium alloys have been of paramount interest to the aerospace industry due to their attractive characteristics. However, these alloys are difficult to machine and require grinding post-processes for quality assurance of the products. Conventional grinding takes a long time and uses a flood [...] Read more.
Titanium alloys have been of paramount interest to the aerospace industry due to their attractive characteristics. However, these alloys are difficult to machine and require grinding post-processes for quality assurance of the products. Conventional grinding takes a long time and uses a flood coolant-lubrication technique, which is not cost effective nor environmentally friendly. Several studies have been performed to prove the viability and benefit of using Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) with vegetable or synthetic-ester fluids. This work aims to find the optimum grinding parameters of creep feed grinding Ti-6Al-4V with a green silicon carbide wheel, using a flood lubrication system with water-soluble synthetic oil, MQL with ester oil, and nano-MQL (NMQL) using alumina-nanopowder homogeneously dispersed within an ester oil. It is concluded that at 0.635 mm and 1.27 mm infeeds, the three lubrication methods performed similarly. At an infeed of 1.905 mm, MQL did not provide desirable quality, though NMQL and flood lubrication performed practically identically. At a cross feed of 0.254 mm, an infeed of 1.27 mm, and a table feed rate of 6.7 m/min, these grinding parameters provide a material removal rate of 2163 mm3/min with a surface roughness across (Ra) of 0.515 µm. These parameters provide the quickest material removal rate while still maintaining industrial quality. This conclusion is based on environmental, economic, and qualitative results. Full article
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21 pages, 6354 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Vegetable Oil-Based Minimum Quantity Lubrication Assisted Machining of AZ91 Magnesium Alloy: A Grey Relational Analysis-Based Study
by Assem Alshibi, Abdelrahman Nasreldin and Salman Pervaiz
Lubricants 2023, 11(2), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants11020079 - 12 Feb 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2163
Abstract
The implementation of magnesium alloys in a multitude of industries has been proven to be a mere effect of their attractive light weight, corrosion resistant, and biodegradable properties. These traits allow these materials to portray an excellent sustainable machinability. However, with increasing demand, [...] Read more.
The implementation of magnesium alloys in a multitude of industries has been proven to be a mere effect of their attractive light weight, corrosion resistant, and biodegradable properties. These traits allow these materials to portray an excellent sustainable machinability. However, with increasing demand, it is essential to explore sustainable means of increasing production while mitigating reductions in sustainability. The current work aims to assess and optimize the high-speed machinability of AZ91 with the use of a vegetable oil-based minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) system using the grey relational analysis (GRA) on the basis of chip morphology and tool wear. The investigation entailed a full factorial design with MQL flow rate, cutting speed, and feed rate as the control parameters and flank wear, land width, chip contact length, saw-tooth pitch, chip segmentation ratio, chip compression ratio, and shear angle as the output responses. The optimal control parameters predicted and experimentally confirmed were an MQL flow rate of 40 mL/h, cutting speed of 300 m/min, and feed rate of 0.3 mm/rev. The usage of said optimal parameters results in a grey relational grade improvement of 0.2675 in comparison to the referenced first experimental run. Moreover, the MQL flow rate was regarded as the critical variable with a contribution percentage of 20% for the grey relational grade. Full article
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30 pages, 11312 KiB  
Article
Hard Turning Performance Investigation of AISI D2 Steel under a Dual Nozzle MQL Environment
by Rajashree Mallick, Ramanuj Kumar, Amlana Panda and Ashok Kumar Sahoo
Lubricants 2023, 11(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants11010016 - 4 Jan 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2926
Abstract
In recent years, hard turning has emerged as a burgeoning cutting technology for producing high-quality finishing of cylindrical-shaped hardened steel for a variety of industrial applications. Hard turning under dry cutting was not accepted because of the generation of higher cutting temperatures which [...] Read more.
In recent years, hard turning has emerged as a burgeoning cutting technology for producing high-quality finishing of cylindrical-shaped hardened steel for a variety of industrial applications. Hard turning under dry cutting was not accepted because of the generation of higher cutting temperatures which accelerated tool wear and produced an inferior surface finish. Nowadays, minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) is widely accepted in hard turning to reduce the problems encountered in dry cutting. This research aimed to augment the MQL performance in the hard turning process of AISI D2 steel by applying a novel concept, namely, a dual jet nozzle MQL system that supplies the cutting fluid into the cutting zone from two different directions. The performances of hard turning are discussed using machinability indicator parameters, such as surface roughness, tool wear, cutting temperature, power consumption, noise emission, and chip morphology. The dual nozzle MQL greatly reduced the friction between contact surfaces in the cutting zone and provided improved surface quality (Ra = 0.448 to 1.265 µm). Furthermore, tool flank wear was found to be lower, in the range of 0.041 to 0.112 mm, with abrasion and adhesion being observed to be the main mode of wear mechanisms. The power consumption was greatly influenced by the depth of cut (46.69%), followed by cutting speed (40.76%) and feed (9.70%). The chip shapes were found to be helical, ribbon, and spiral c type, while the colors were a metallic, light blue, deep blue, and light golden. Full article
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16 pages, 6293 KiB  
Article
Performance of Al2O3/TiO2 Hybrid Nano-Cutting Fluid in MQL Turning Operation via RSM Approach
by Ariffin Arifuddin, Abd Aziz Mohammad Redhwan, Wan Hamzah Azmi and Nurul Nadia Mohd Zawawi
Lubricants 2022, 10(12), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants10120366 - 16 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2196
Abstract
Cutting fluids can be used to cool workpieces at high cutting speeds and remove chips from cutting zones. The effectiveness of cutting fluids may be improved with the addition of hybrid nanoparticle dispersion. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an Al2O [...] Read more.
Cutting fluids can be used to cool workpieces at high cutting speeds and remove chips from cutting zones. The effectiveness of cutting fluids may be improved with the addition of hybrid nanoparticle dispersion. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an Al2O3-TiO2 hybrid as a cutting fluid in turning operations. The Al2O3-TiO2 hybrid nano-cutting fluid was prepared using a one-step method in computer numerical control (CNC) coolant with concentrations of up to 4%. Utilizing air-assisted nano-cutting fluids injected through a minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) setup, the effectiveness of turning cutting performance, cutting temperature (°C), average surface roughness (Ra), and tool wear (%) were evaluated. Then, the response surface method (RSM) was utilized as the design of experiment (DOE) to optimize the turning cutting performance parameters. The combination of 4% hybrid nano-cutting fluid concentration, 0.1 mm/rev feed rate, and 0.55 mm depth of cut yielded the lowest cutting temperature, surface roughness, and tool wear values of 25.3 °C, 0.480 µm, and 0.0104%, respectively. The 4% concentration of Al2O3/TiO2 hybrid nano-cutting fluid inclusion achieved the highest surface roughness reduction that led to better surface finish and the lowest tool-wear reduction led to longer tool life. Therefore, Al2O3/TiO2 hybrid nano-cutting fluids were strongly recommended in turning operations for CNC lathes. Full article
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19 pages, 3663 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Hybrid Nanolubricants for MQL Cooling Lubrication Machining Application
by Syh Kai Lim, Wan Hamzah Azmi, Ahmad Shahir Jamaludin and Ahmad Razlan Yusoff
Lubricants 2022, 10(12), 350; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants10120350 - 5 Dec 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1860
Abstract
Efficient and effective lubricants have great application prospects in the manufacturing industries. Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) machining with low flow rate of nanolubricants is investigated for cooling and lubrication during the process. This paper investigates the characterization of graphene-mixed aluminium oxide (G-Al2 [...] Read more.
Efficient and effective lubricants have great application prospects in the manufacturing industries. Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) machining with low flow rate of nanolubricants is investigated for cooling and lubrication during the process. This paper investigates the characterization of graphene-mixed aluminium oxide (G-Al2O3) hybrid nanomixture spent lubricants for MQL machining purposes. The main advantage of this method is to reduce the disposal lubricants to develop high-performance cooling-lubrication by using nanolubricants of G-Al2O3 nanoparticles in different volume composition ratios at a constant 1.0% volume concentration in a base liquid mixture of 40% spent lubricants. Before conducting the measurements of the nanolubricants’ thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity, the nanolubricants were homogenous and stable. The tribological performance of all ratios was evaluated by using a four-ball wear tribotester machine. The thermal conductivity peak value for the G-Al2O3 hybrid nanolubricant was obtained and the highest enhancement, up to 29% higher than the base liquid solution, was obtained. The dynamic viscosity variation for all ratios was lower than the 40:60 ratio. The properties enhancement ratio suggests that G-Al2O3 hybrid nanolubricants with 1.0% volume concentration aid in the heat transfer, especially for ratios of 60:40 and 20:80. The lowest coefficient of friction (COF) for a ratio of 60:40 was obtained to be 0.064, with 45% enhancement as compared to the base liquid solution. In conclusion, optimum ratios for G-Al2O3 hybrid nanolubricants were determined to be 20:80 and 60:40. Regarding the properties enhancement ratio, the combination of enhanced thermophysical and tribological properties had more advantages for cooling lubrication application. Full article
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18 pages, 6174 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Role of Dry and MQL Regimes on Machining and Sustainability Index of Strenx 900 Steel
by Abdullah Aslan, Emin Salur and Mustafa Kuntoğlu
Lubricants 2022, 10(11), 301; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants10110301 - 9 Nov 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2128
Abstract
Sustainable technologies draw attention in the machining industry thanks to their contributions in many aspects such as ecological, economic, and technological. Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) is one of these techniques that enable to convey of the high pressurized cutting fluid toward the cutting [...] Read more.
Sustainable technologies draw attention in the machining industry thanks to their contributions in many aspects such as ecological, economic, and technological. Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) is one of these techniques that enable to convey of the high pressurized cutting fluid toward the cutting zone as small oil particulates. This study examines the potency of MQL technology versus dry conditions on the machining quality during the milling of structural Strenx 900 steel within the sustainability index. High strength and toughness properties make this steel a hard-to-cut material providing an important opportunity to test the performances of dry and MQL environments. The outcomes of the experimental data demonstrated that MQL is superior in enhancing the quality of significant machining characteristics namely surface roughness (up to 35%), flank wear (up to 94%), wear mechanisms, cutting energy (up to 28%), and cutting temperatures (up to 14%). Furthermore, after analyzing the main headings of the sustainable indicators, MQL provided the same (+5) desirability value with a dry (+5) medium. This experimental work presents a comparative approach for improved machinability of industrially important materials by questioning the impact of sustainable methods. Full article
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23 pages, 7376 KiB  
Article
Performance Characteristics of Spur Gears Hobbed under MQL, Flood Lubrication, and Dry Environments
by Vishal Kharka, Vivek Rana, Neelesh Kumar Jain and Kapil Gupta
Lubricants 2022, 10(10), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants10100230 - 21 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2445
Abstract
This paper presents the influence of three lubrication environments, namely hobbing with minimum quantity lubrication (HWMQL), hobbing with flood lubrication (HWFL), and hobbing without any lubrication (HWAL), on the wear characteristics, microhardness, functional performance parameters, generation of noise and vibrations, flank surface roughness, [...] Read more.
This paper presents the influence of three lubrication environments, namely hobbing with minimum quantity lubrication (HWMQL), hobbing with flood lubrication (HWFL), and hobbing without any lubrication (HWAL), on the wear characteristics, microhardness, functional performance parameters, generation of noise and vibrations, flank surface roughness, and microgeometry deviation parameters of spur gears. Convective heat transfer coefficients in HWMQL and HWFL are evaluated to study the cooling mechanism involved and their heat dissipation capabilities during spur gear manufacturing. It is found that HWMQL-manufactured spur gears exhibited higher microhardness and smaller values of microgeometry deviations, flank surface roughness, functional performance parameters, wear rate, wear volume, and noise and vibrations than the spur gears manufactured by HWFL and HWAL. HWMQL facilitated a significantly higher convective heat transfer coefficient than HWFL, indicating its superior hobbing performance. An examination of the worn flank surfaces of HWMQL-manufactured gears revealed a wear track that resulted in less abrasive wear, wear debris, and subsurface damage, whereas the worn flank surfaces of HWFL-manufactured gears showed deep grooves, feed marks, and surface defects. This study proves that HWMQL is capable of manufacturing gears with better accuracy, enhanced wear resistance, smoother and quieter operational performance, and longer service life due to its better cooling and lubrication action. The results of this study will be very helpful for the manufacturers and users of spur gears. Full article
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Review

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21 pages, 757 KiB  
Review
Toxicity Analysis of Nano-Minimum Quantity Lubrication Machining—A Review
by Ibrahim Nouzil, Abdelkrem Eltaggaz, Salman Pervaiz and Ibrahim Deiab
Lubricants 2022, 10(8), 176; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants10080176 - 6 Aug 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2331
Abstract
The lubrication properties of nanoparticles are of great interest to the manufacturing industry and led to the development of the nano-minimum quantity lubrication (NMQL) cooling strategy. To evaluate the sustainability characteristics of nano-minimum quantity lubrication, apart from analyzing the benefits of increasing machining [...] Read more.
The lubrication properties of nanoparticles are of great interest to the manufacturing industry and led to the development of the nano-minimum quantity lubrication (NMQL) cooling strategy. To evaluate the sustainability characteristics of nano-minimum quantity lubrication, apart from analyzing the benefits of increasing machining efficiency, it is also essential to evaluate the potential detrimental effects of nanoparticles on human health and the environment. Existing literature provides substantial data on the benefits of nano-minimum quantity lubrication machining. However, the current literature does not provide researchers in the machining sector a comprehensive analysis of the toxicity of the nanoparticles used in nano-minimum quantity lubrication. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review that addresses the toxicity levels of the most frequently used nanoparticles in NMQL machining. To understand the impacts of nanoparticles on the human body and the environment, in vitro studies that evaluate the nanoparticles’ toxicity on human cells and in vitro/in vivo studies on other living organisms are considered. The results from toxicity studies on each of the chosen nanoparticles are summarized and presented in chronological order. The reviewed studies indicate transition metal dichalcogenides (MoS2 and WS2) exhibit very low toxicity when compared to other nanoparticles. The toxicity of hBN and AL2O3 nanoparticles varies depending on their lengths and crystalline structures, respectively. In conclusion, a chart that maps the toxicity levels of nanoparticles on seven different human cell lines (human lung epithelial cells (A549), human bronchial epithelial cells (Nl-20), AGS human gastric cells, human epidermal cells (HEK), human liver-derived cells (HepG2), human endothelial cells and human peripheral cells), representing exposures by inhalation, ingestion and dermal contact, was developed for easy and quick insights. This is the first attempt in open literature to combine the results of the experimental investigations of nano-minimum quantity lubrication cooling and the toxicity studies of nanoparticles, allowing researchers to make informed decisions in the selection of the most sustainable nanoparticles in the nano-minimum quantity lubrication machining process. Full article
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Other

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14 pages, 2011 KiB  
Perspective
Microalgae Oil-Based Metal Working Fluids for Sustainable Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) Operations—A Perspective
by Leonardo I. Farfan-Cabrera, Alejandro Rojo-Valerio, Juan de Dios Calderon-Najera, Karina G. Coronado-Apodaca, Hafiz M. N. Iqbal, Roberto Parra-Saldivar, Mariana Franco-Morgado and Alex Elias-Zuñiga
Lubricants 2023, 11(5), 215; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants11050215 - 10 May 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2893
Abstract
This article presents a perspective on the potential use of microalgae oils in the production of metal working fluids (MWFs) used for minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) operations. The generalities of MQL operations and requirements of MWFs, and current advances in the development of [...] Read more.
This article presents a perspective on the potential use of microalgae oils in the production of metal working fluids (MWFs) used for minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) operations. The generalities of MQL operations and requirements of MWFs, and current advances in the development of the most promising microalgae oils with high contents of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids were reviewed and discussed. The analysis of data, discussions, and conclusions of numerous studies published recently and combined with the experience of the multidisciplinary team of authors strongly suggest that microalgae oils do indeed have great potential as sustainable and eco-friendly base oils for producing semi-synthetic MWFs, soluble oils and straight cutting fluids for MQL operations. Additionally, gaps and challenges focused on the use of agro-industry wastewater in microalgae production, green harvesting and oil extraction methods, and replacement of toxic additives in MWFs by green nanoparticles and biopolymers were identified and highlighted for achieving massive microalgae oil-based MWFs production and truly green machining processes. Full article
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