Machining Feasibility and Sustainability Study Associated with Air Pressure, Air Flow Rate, and Nanoparticle Concentration in Nanofluid Minimum Quantity Lubrication-Assisted Hard Milling Process of 60si2mn Steel

In recent years, more efficient hard machining processes have notably increased in demand for higher productivity but environmental friendliness. High hardness and strength as well as the enormous amount of cutting temperature are still the biggest obstacles. Nanofluid minimum quantity lubrication (NFMQL)–assisted hard machining has become a feasible and promising solution to overcome these problems. The work presents the experimental study on the effects of air pressure (5, 6, and 7 bar), air flow rate (150, 200, and 250 L/min), and Al2O3 nanoparticle concentration (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5%) on minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) hard milling process of 60Si2Mn (50÷52HRC) using vegetable oil as the based fluid. Box–Behnken experimental design and ANOVA analysis were employed to investigate the influences and interaction effects of input parameters on cutting forces, surface roughness, and surface microstructure. This study will be used for selecting the optimum air pressure, air flow rate, and Al2O3 nanoparticle concentration for efficient cooling lubrication performance of MQL in sustainable hard machining. The obtained results show that the optimal values for air pressure and nanoparticle concentration. For Q = 200 L/min, the optimal p is 6.0 bar and the optimal nanoparticle concentration (NC) is 0.9%. For Q = 250 L/min, the optimal p is 5.2 bar, and the optimal NC is 1.2%. Furthermore, using air flow rate Q = 250 L/min gives better results than Q = 200 L/min, but the selection will be depended on the specific equipment conditions.