MACHINING PROCESS –I

Lecture 3
Cutting Fluids And Types

ENGR. MUHAMMAD MAHBOOB

 Cutting Fluids
A cutting fluid is any liquid or gas that is applied
directly to the machining operation to improve
cutting performance.
 Cutting fluids address two main problems:
1. Heat generation at the shear zone and friction
zone.
2. Friction at the tool–chip and tool–work interfaces.
 Cutting Fluids
In addition to removing heat and reducing friction, cutting
fluids provide additional benefits, such as
Washing away chips (especially in grinding and milling)
Reducing the temperature of the work part for easier
handling
Reducing cutting forces and power requirements
Improving dimensional stability of the work part, and
improving surface finish.
 Types Of Cutting Fluids
A variety of cutting fluids are commercially available. It is
appropriate to discuss them first according to function and
then to classify them according to chemical formulation.
Cutting Fluid Functions:
There are two general categories of cutting fluids,
corresponding to the two main problems they are designed
to address
1. Coolants
2. Lubricants.
 Coolants
Coolants are cutting fluids designed to reduce the effects
of heat in the machining operation.
They have a limited effect on the amount of heat energy
generated in cutting; instead, they carry away the heat that
is generated, thereby reducing the temperature of tool and
work piece.
This helps to prolong the life of the cutting tool.
The capacity of a cutting fluid to reduce temperatures in
machining depends on its thermal properties.
 Coolants
Specific heat and thermal conductivity are the most
important properties.
Water has high specific heat and thermal
conductivity relative to other liquids, which is why
water is used as the base in coolant-type cutting
fluids.
 These properties allow the coolant to draw heat
away from the operation, thereby reducing the
temperature of the cutting tool.
 Coolants
Coolant-type cutting fluids seem to be most
effective at relatively high cutting speeds, in which
heat generation and high temperatures are problems.
They are most effective on tool materials that are
most susceptible to temperature failures, such as
highs peed steels, and are used frequently in turning
and milling operations, in which large
amounts of heat are generated.
 Lubricants
Lubricants are usually oil-based fluids (because oils
possess good lubricating qualities) formulated to reduce
friction at the tool–chip and tool–work interfaces.
Lubricant cutting fluids operate by extreme pressure
lubrication, a special form of lubrication that involves
formation of thin solid salt layers on the hot, clean
metal surfaces through chemical reaction with the
lubricant.
 Lubricants
Compounds of sulfur, chlorine, and phosphorus in the
lubricant cause the formation of these surface layers, which
act to separate the two metal surfaces(i.e., chip and tool).
These extreme pressure films are significantly more
effective in reducing friction in metal cutting than
conventional lubrication, which is based on the presence of
liquid films between the two surfaces.
 Lubricants
Lubricant-type cutting fluids are most effective at lower
cutting speeds. They tend to lose their effectiveness at high
speeds (above about 120 m/min [400 ft/min]) because the
motion of the chip at these speeds prevents the cutting fluid
from reaching the tool– chip interface.
In addition, high cutting temperatures at these speeds cause
the oils to vaporize before they can lubricate.
Machining operations such as drilling and tapping usually
benefit from lubricants.
 Lubricants
There is typically an overlapping effect between the
two types of cutting fluids.
Coolants are formulated with ingredients that help
reduce friction.
 And lubricants have thermal properties that, although
not as good as those of water, act to remove heat from
the cutting operation.
 Chemical Formulation of Cutting Fluids
There are four categories of cutting fluids according to chemical formulation.
(1) cutting oils
(2) emulsified oils
(3) semi chemical fluids
(4) chemical fluids.
All of these cutting fluids provide both coolant and lubricating functions.
The cutting oils are most effective as lubricants, whereas the other three
categories are more effective as coolants because they are primarily water.
 Cutting Oil
Cutting oils are based on oil derived from petroleum,
animal, marine, or vegetable origin.
Mineral oils (petroleum based) are the principal type
because of their abundance and generally desirable
lubricating characteristics.
To achieve maximum lubricity, several types of oils are
often combined in the same fluid.
 Cutting Oil
Chemical additives are also mixed with the oils to
increase lubricating qualities.
These additives contain compounds of sulfur, chlorine,
and phosphorus, and are designed to react chemically
with the chip and tool surfaces to form solid
films(extreme pressure lubrication) that help to avoid
metal-to-metal contact between the two.
 Emulsified Oils
Emulsified oils consist of oil droplets suspended in water. The
fluid is made by blending oil (usually mineral oil) in water using
an emulsifying agent to promote blending and stability of the
emulsion.
A typical ratio of water to oil is 30:1. Chemical additives
based on sulfur, chlorine, and phosphorus are often used to
promote extreme pressure lubrication.
 Because they contain both oil and water, the emulsified oils
combine cooling and lubricating qualities in one cutting fluid.
 Chemical Fluids
Chemical fluids are chemicals in a water solution rather than
oils in emulsion.
The dissolved chemicals include compounds of sulfur,
chlorine, and phosphorus, plus wetting agents.
The chemicals are intended to provide some degree of
lubrication to the solution.
Chemical fluids provide good coolant qualities but their
lubricating qualities are less than the other cutting fluid types.
 Semi Chemical Fluids
Semi chemical fluids have small amounts of
emulsified oil added to increase the lubricating
characteristics of the cutting fluid.
 In effect, they are a hybrid class between
chemical fluids and emulsified oils.
 Application Of Cutting Fluids
Cutting fluids are applied to machining operations in
various ways. In this section we consider these
application techniques.
 We also consider the problem of cutting-fluid
contamination and what steps can be taken to
address this problem.
 Application Methods
There are 3 common method for applying of
cutting fluids .
1. Flooding
2. Mist application
3. Manual application
 Flooding
The most common method is flooding, sometimes
called flood cooling because it is generally used with
coolant-type cutting fluids.
In flooding, a steady stream of fluid is directed at
the tool–work or tool–chip interface of the machining
operation.
 Mist Application
A second method of delivery is mist application, primarily used for
water based cutting fluids.
In this method the fluid is directed at the operation in the form of a
high-speed mist carried by a pressurized air stream.
Mist application is generally not as effective as flooding in cooling the
tool.
However, because of the high-velocity air stream, mist application may
be more effective in delivering the cutting fluid to areas that are difficult
to access by conventional flooding.
 Manual Application
Manual application by means of a squirt can or
paint brush is sometimes used for applying lubricants
in tapping and other operations in which cutting
speeds are low and friction is a problem.
It is generally not preferred by most production
machine shops because of its variability in
application.