Nanoparticle-enhanced coolants (NPECs) are increasingly used in minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) machining as a green lubricant to replace conventional cutting fluids to meet the urgent need for carbon emissions and achieve sustainable manufacturing. However, the thermophysical properties of NPEC during processing remain unclear, making it difficult to provide precise guidance and selection principles for industrial applications. Therefore, this paper reviews the action mechanism, processing properties, and future development directions of NPEC. First, the laws of influence of nano-enhanced phases and base fluids on the processing performance are revealed, and the dispersion stabilization mechanism of NPEC in the preparation process is elaborated. Then, the unique molecular structure and physical properties of NPECs are combined to elucidate their unique mechanisms of heat transfer, penetration, and anti-friction effects. Furthermore, the effect of NPECs is investigated on the basis of their excellent lubricating and cooling properties by comprehensively and quantitatively evaluating the material removal characteristics during machining in turning, milling, and grinding applications. Results showed that turning of Ti‒6Al‒4V with multi-walled carbon nanotube NPECs with a volume fraction of 0.2% resulted in a 34% reduction in tool wear, an average decrease in cutting force of 28%, and a 7% decrease in surface roughness Ra, compared with the conventional flood process. Finally, research gaps and future directions for further applications of NPECs in the industry are presented.
Although the manufacturing industry has improved the quality of processing, optimization and upgrading must be performed to meet the requirements of global sustainable development. Sustainable production is considered to be a favorable strategy for achieving machining upgrades characterized by high quality, high efficiency, energy savings, and emission reduction. Sustainable production has aroused widespread interest, but only a few scholars have studied the sustainability of machining from multiple dimensions. The sustainability of machining must be investigated multidimensionally and accurately. Thus, this study explores the sustainability of machining from the aspects of equipment, process, and strategy. In particular, the equipment, process, and strategy of sustainable machining are systematically analyzed and integrated into a research framework. Then, this study analyzes sustainable machining-oriented machining equipment from the aspects of machine tools, cutting tools, and materials such as cutting fluid. Machining processes are explored as important links of sustainable machining from the aspects of dry cutting, microlubrication, microcutting, low-temperature cutting, and multidirectional cutting. The strategies for sustainable machining are also analyzed from the aspects of energy-saving control, machining simulation, and process optimization of machine tools. Finally, opportunities and challenges, including policies and regulations toward sustainable machining, are discussed. This study is expected to offer prospects for sustainable machining development and strategies for implementing sustainable machining.
Carbon group nanofluids can further improve the friction-reducing and anti-wear properties of minimum quantity lubrication (MQL). However, the formation mechanism of lubrication films generated by carbon group nanofluids on MQL grinding interfaces is not fully revealed due to lack of sufficient evidence. Here, molecular dynamic simulations for the abrasive grain/workpiece interface were conducted under nanofluid MQL, MQL, and dry grinding conditions. Three kinds of carbon group nanoparticles, i.e., nanodiamond (ND), carbon nanotube (CNT), and graphene nanosheet (GN), were taken as representative specimens. The [BMIM]BF4 ionic liquid was used as base fluid. The materials used as workpiece and abrasive grain were the single-crystal Ni–Fe–Cr series of Ni-based alloy and single-crystal cubic boron nitride (CBN), respectively. Tangential grinding force was used to evaluate the lubrication performance under the grinding conditions. The abrasive grain/workpiece contact states under the different grinding conditions were compared to reveal the formation mechanism of the lubrication film. Investigations showed the formation of a boundary lubrication film on the abrasive grain/workpiece interface under the MQL condition, with the ionic liquid molecules absorbing in the groove-like fractures on the grain wear’s flat face. The boundary lubrication film underwent a friction-reducing effect by reducing the abrasive grain/workpiece contact area. Under the nanofluid MQL condition, the carbon group nanoparticles further enhanced the tribological performance of the MQL technique that had benefited from their corresponding tribological behaviors on the abrasive grain/workpiece interface. The behaviors involved the rolling effect of ND, the rolling and sliding effects of CNT, and the interlayer shear effect of GN. Compared with the findings under the MQL condition, the tangential grinding forces could be further reduced by 8.5%, 12.0%, and 14.1% under the diamond, CNT, and graphene nanofluid MQL conditions, respectively.
Materials with high hardness, strength or plasticity have been widely used in the fields of aviation, aerospace, and military, among others. However, the poor machinability of these materials leads to large cutting forces, high cutting temperatures, serious tool wear, and chip adhesion, which affect machining quality. Low-temperature plasma contains a variety of active particles and can effectively adjust material properties, including hardness, strength, ductility, and wettability, significantly improving material machinability. In this paper, we first discuss the mechanisms and applications of low-temperature plasma-assisted machining. After introducing the characteristics, classifications, and action mechanisms of the low-temperature plasma, we describe the effects of the low-temperature plasma on different machining processes of various difficult-to-cut materials. The low-temperature plasma can be classified as hot plasma and cold plasma according to the different equilibrium states. Hot plasma improves material machinability via the thermal softening effect induced by the high temperature, whereas the main mechanisms of the cold plasma can be summarized as chemical reactions to reduce material hardness, the hydrophilization effect to improve surface wettability, and the Rehbinder effect to promote fracture. In addition, hybrid machining methods combining the merits of the low-temperature plasma and other energy fields like ultrasonic vibration, liquid nitrogen, and minimum quantity lubrication are also described and analyzed. Finally, the promising development trends of low-temperature plasma-assisted machining are presented, which include more precise control of the heat-affected zone in hot plasma-assisted machining, cold plasma-assisted polishing of metal materials, and further investigations on the reaction mechanisms between the cold plasma and other materials.
Aerospace aluminum alloy is the most used structural material for rockets, aircraft, spacecraft, and space stations. The deterioration of surface integrity of dry machining and the insufficient heat transfer capacity of minimal quantity lubrication have become the bottleneck of lubrication and heat dissipation of aerospace aluminum alloy. However, the excellent thermal conductivity and tribological properties of nanofluids are expected to fill this gap. The traditional milling force models are mainly based on empirical models and finite element simulations, which are insufficient to guide industrial manufacturing. In this study, the milling force of the integral end milling cutter is deduced by force analysis of the milling cutter element and numerical simulation. The instantaneous milling force model of the integral end milling cutter is established under the condition of dry and nanofluid minimal quantity lubrication (NMQL) based on the dual mechanism of the shear effect on the rake face of the milling cutter and the plow cutting effect on the flank surface. A single factor experiment is designed to introduce NMQL and the milling feed factor into the instantaneous milling force coefficient. The average absolute errors in the prediction of milling forces for the NMQL are 13.3%, 2.3%, and 7.6% in the x-, y-, and z-direction, respectively. Compared with the milling forces obtained by dry milling, those by NMQL decrease by 21.4%, 17.7%, and 18.5% in the x-, y-, and z-direction, respectively.
The substitution of biolubricant for mineral cutting fluids in aerospace material grinding is an inevitable development direction, under the requirements of the worldwide carbon emission strategy. However, serious tool wear and workpiece damage in difficult-to-machine material grinding challenges the availability of using biolubricants via minimum quantity lubrication. The primary cause for this condition is the unknown and complex influencing mechanisms of the biolubricant physicochemical properties on grindability. In this review, a comparative assessment of grindability is performed using titanium alloy, nickel-based alloy, and high-strength steel. Firstly, this work considers the physicochemical properties as the main factors, and the antifriction and heat dissipation behaviours of biolubricant in a high temperature and pressure interface are comprehensively analysed. Secondly, the comparative assessment of force, temperature, wheel wear and workpiece surface for titanium alloy, nickel-based alloy, and high-strength steel confirms that biolubricant is a potential replacement of traditional cutting fluids because of its improved lubrication and cooling performance. High-viscosity biolubricant and nano-enhancers with high thermal conductivity are recommended for titanium alloy to solve the burn puzzle of the workpiece. Biolubricant with high viscosity and high fatty acid saturation characteristics should be used to overcome the bottleneck of wheel wear and nickel-based alloy surface burn. The nano-enhancers with high hardness and spherical characteristics are better choices. Furthermore, a different option is available for high-strength steel grinding, which needs low-viscosity biolubricant to address the debris breaking difficulty and wheel clogging. Finally, the current challenges and potential methods are proposed to promote the application of biolubricant.
