Experimental Performance Evaluation of Mist Cooling Using Biodegradable Coconut Oil in Turning of EN24 Steel in Minimization of Tool Wear, Surface Roughness, and Chip Thickness

Abstract

Cooling and lubrication are essential factors for any machining process for reducing cutting tool tip temperatures, cutting tool forces, and increasing cutting tool life as well as work surface quality. Also, to reduce the machining coolants with better cooling and lubricity, minimum quantity lubrication is employed. Coconut oil being biodegradable is recommended in most machining processes as coolant. Comparative evaluations were drawn from data collected during turning experiments in dry, water flooding, and coconut oil mist using MQL method in view of tool wear and surface roughness of machined workpieces under study. It was found that the performance of edible biodegradable vegetable cutting fluids using coconut oil is better than dry and flood cooling. Mist method of cooling uses less quantity fluids and is comparatively safer and cleaner in applications. Through the design of experiments (DOE) and analysis of variance (ANOVA), tool wear, surface roughness, and chip thickness had a comparable reduction in values and are beneficial in machining.