Performance of multi-walled carbon nanotube-based nanofluid in turning operation

ABSTRACT

This paper evaluates the performance of nanofluid using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in distilled water and sodium dodecyl sulfate surfactant for turning operation on EN 31 material. Turning was performed without any fluid, with conventional, mineral oil–based cutting fluid, and with nanofluid. The flow rates of both fluids were limited to 1 L/h and these fluids were applied at the tool tip through gravity feed. Cutting forces, wear on tool, and surface finish on workpiece were measured as responses while turning under the three conditions. The responses obtained in three different conditions of turning are then compared. It is found that application of MWCNT-based nanofluid resulted in 49% and 30% lesser tool wear than machining without any fluid and machining with mineral oil–based fluid, respectively. The use of nanofluid also resulted in 5–8% lesser cutting force and 9–22% better surface finish of the workpiece as compared with conventional cutting fluid. Thus, MWCNT-based nanofluid performed better than the conventional, oil-based cutting fluid for turning of EN 31 bars.

KEYWORDS:

• Cutting
• fluid
• force
• MWCNT
• nanofluid
• roughness
• turning
• wear

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. S. S. Sonawane, Department of Chemical Engineering, VNIT, Nagpur, for providing thermal conductivity meter; and Dr. Sabu Thomas, Department of Nanoscience, MG University, Kottayam, for providing contact angle analyzer.