Materials and Manufacturing Processes

ISSN: 1042-6914 (Print) 1532-2475 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/lmmp20

Investigating Feasibility Through Performance

Analysis of Green Dielectrics for Sustainable
Electric Discharge Machining

Janak B. Valaki & Pravin P. Rathod

To cite this article: Janak B. Valaki & Pravin P. Rathod (2016) Investigating Feasibility Through
Performance Analysis of Green Dielectrics for Sustainable Electric Discharge Machining, Materials
and Manufacturing Processes, 31:4, 541-549, DOI: 10.1080/10426914.2015.1070430

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 Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 31: 541–549, 2016
Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 1042-6914 print=1532-2475 online
DOI: 10.1080/10426914.2015.1070430

Investigating Feasibility Through Performance Analysis of Green

Dielectrics for Sustainable Electric Discharge Machining
Janak B. Valaki1,2 and Pravin P. Rathod3
1
School of Engineering, RK University, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
2
Mechanical Engineering Department, Government Engineering College, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India
3
Mechanical Engineering Department, Government Engineering College, Bhuj, Kuttchh, Gujarat, India

This work represents a feasibility study for the newly proposed vegetable oil-based green dielectric fluids, biodielectric1 (BD1) and
biodielectric2 (BD2) for electric discharge machining (EDM). Comparative analyses for BD1, BD2, and kerosene have been studied to assess
the performance in terms of material removal rate (MRR), electrode wear rate (EWR), and relative wear ratio (RWR) for
P20 þ cold-worked plastic injection mold steel using electrolytic grade copper electrode. Current, gap voltage, pulse on time (Ton), and pulse
off time (Toff) have been chosen as input parameters, and one variable at a time approach has been used for designing experimental plan for
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investigating the feasibility of the newly suggested fluids. The results obtained show that the performance of the newly suggested biodielec-
trics BD1 and BD2 is better than commercially used hydrocarbon-based dielectric, i.e., kerosene, for MRR and RWR. Analysis of variance
results indicated that current is the most influencing parameter for MRR and EWR, while Ton is the most significant parameter for RWR.
Under the influence of current, BD1 and BD2 produced 38% and 165% improvement in MRR, respectively. Moreover, BD1 and BD2
resulted 30% higher and 7% lower RWR, respectively, under the influence of Ton.

Keywords Biodielectrics; EDM; EWR; Manufacturing; MRR; RWR; Sustainability; Vegetable oil.

INTRODUCTION and adversely affect operator health and safety [4–9].

Electric discharge machining (EDM) is the most
widely practiced nonconventional material removal pro-
cess and fourth amongst all material removal processes
after milling, turning, and grinding [1]. EDM process
employs high-frequency discrete electric sparks to cause
thermoelectric decomposition of the dielectric fluid,
which generates intense amount of heat in the order of
8000–12,000 K, resulting in a rapid melting and vapori-
zation of the work material [2]. Discrete and controlled
electric sparks generate dimensionally and geometrically
accurate profiles on materials of any hardness. Hence,
EDM is the preferable metal removal process for the
manufacture of tools, molds, and dies; surface texturing
of steel rolls; surface alloying; production of compo-
nents for aero engines, electronics, surgical industries;
and manufacture of metallic prosthesis [3, 4].
In EDM, dielectric fluid undergoes partial ionization
due to rapid rise and fall of the intense temperature
and pressure during short spark cycles. Researchers have
reported that dielectric fluids such as kerosene and min-
eral oil produce emissions like solid metallic particles,
tiny droplets of liquid dielectric, emitted gases, and
waste dielectric sludge that cause environment pollution
Received March 17, 2015; Accepted June 9, 2015
Address correspondence to Janak B. Valaki, Mechanical Engineer-
ing Department, Government Engineering College, Bhavnagar,
Gujarat 364001, India; E-mail: janakvalaki@gmail.com
Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be
found online at www.tandfonline.com/lmmp.
Leao and Pashby [4] have also reported that the dielec-
tric fluid plays important functions regarding pro-
ductivity, costs, and quality of the machined parts.
The electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties of
the dielectric fluid influence the processes of discharge
initiation, plasma expansion, material erosion, debris
removal, and discharge channel reconditioning in
EDM [10]. Evertz et al. [11] have investigated that type
of dielectric fluid and its supply mode are significant to
have stable, efficient, and operator-friendly material
removal process. Valaki et al. [12] have categorized the
functions performed by dielectric fluids in EDM process
as primary and secondary functions. These functions act
as a basis for selection of desired properties of dielectric
fluids and compare various dielectrics.
Researchers have experimented using alternate dielectrics
with a view to improve process performance, better opera-
tor’s safety, minimize fire hazards, and lessen environmental
impact. Various types of fluids, such as water [13, 14] and
water-based solutions [15, 16], chemical compounds, and
mixed water-based dielectrics [17], have been proposed
and experimented. Leao and Pashby [4] reported that water-
and gas-based dielectrics need further investigations to make
it commercially viable alternates as dielectric. It has also
been reported that even though EDM with plain water
resulted in better performance under special conditions,
hydrocarbon oil-based dielectrics are superior in a broader
range of machining conditions. Zhang et al. [9] and Liu
et al. [18] have proposed and reported that water-in-oil
emulsions are superior to hydrocarbon oils when working
with high energy levels. Oil-in-water emulsions have been

541
 542 J. B. VALAKI AND P. P. RATHOD

TABLE 1.—Electrode material composition.

Element Cu Ni Tin Zn Mn Al C Si Lead P Ar Su

Composition (%) 99.71 0.019 0.005 0.13 0.001 0.007 0.03 0.002 0.01 0.038 0.002 0.029

proposed by Liu et al. [19] with a view to improve environ-
mental, health, and safety aspects of EDM process.
Vegetable plant-based natural oils possess dielectric
properties comparable to or even better than hydro-
carbon- and mineral oil-based dielectrics [20]. Many
researchers have experimented with natural oils as
dielectric fluid for power transformers and other electri-
cal engineering applications [21, 22]. There is an increas-
ing trend toward using vegetable oil-based dielectric
fluid due to its high sustainability index. Khan et al.
[23] have reported that amongst all bio-oils, waste veg-
etable oil (WVO) has the highest impact index of sus-
tainability. Moreover, it is cheapest of all bio-oils.
Jatropha oil is nonedible and hence does not affect food
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Transesterified form of selected vegetable oil-based
biodielectric fluids (BD1 and BD2) and commercial
grade kerosene were used as dielectric fluids for this
study. Transesterified form of BD1 and BD2 contain
free fatty acids contents less than 1% and traces of other
impurities are less than 1%. Properties of BD1, BD2,
and kerosene dielectric fluids used are shown in Table 3.
The experiments were performed in die sinking EDM
machine (Sparkonix India Pvt. Ltd., Pune, India), as
shown in Fig. 1. The EDM machine was supported
by metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor
(MOSFET) controller, having a current rating of 25 A,
as a pulse generator for the process.
An experimental setup was developed to supply dielec-

chain sustainability. In our earlier study [24], we have
reported a qualitative assessment of suitability of veg-
etable oil-based bio-oils as dielectrics for EDM.
Authors, in this research article, have proposed two veg-
etable oil-based biodielectric fluids, Jatropha oil (BD1)
and WVO (BD2), as green dielectrics for EDM process.
Experimental investigations have been performed to
evaluate the relative performance of the proposed biodi-
electric fluids with kerosene to analyze material removal
rate (MRR) in mm3=min, electrode wear rate (EWR) in
mm3=min, and relative wear ratio (RWR) of workpiece
and electrode materials in percentage (%).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
For this study, M238 HH grade (equivalent to
P20 þ grade) cold-worked plastic mold steel samples were
used as workpiece material since it is widely being used
for plastic die and mold manufacturing using die sinking
process. Material was pre-hardened and tempered,
having a Brinell hardness number (BHN) of 355–359 and
size of the sample as 100 mm  50 mm  15 mm (length 
breadth  thickness). 99.73% pure electrolytic grade cop-
per rods of 20 mm diameter were used as electrodes for
the experiments. Chemical compositions of the workpiece
material and the electrode material is shown in Tables 1
and 2, respectively.
tric fluid through a submerged type single-jet flushing
system, which includes a dielectric supply system with
a submersible pump. Current, gap voltage, pulse on time
(Ton), and pulse off time (Toff) were used as input para-
meters. In order to assess the performance of the sug-
gested biodielectrics, ranges of input parameters have
been selected to cover 20%–80% of the available range
on the machines, and within selected range, six intervals
have been selected as shown in Table 4. Constant
machining conditions used for the experiments are sta-
ted in Table 5. A total 24 sets of experiments, each hav-
ing a cycle time of 10 minutes, were performed using one
variable at a time approach. Absolute weight difference
of the electrode and work materials were measured using
20 mg accuracy digital weighing scale. Absolute weight
differences of workpiece and electrode materials were
divided by erosion cycle time and densities of the materi-
als to calculate of MRR and EWR. RWR was calcu-
lated taking the ratio of EWR=MRR. In order to
calculate the relative percentage difference for the
response parameters, average of the results of the six
levels has been taken. A statistical tool, analysis of vari-
ance (ANOVA), has been used to sort out the significant
input variables for BD1, BD2, and kerosene. Moreover,
percentage significance of each input variable on the
output responses has been calculated.

TABLE 2.—Workpiece material composition.

Element C Si Mn P S Cr Mo Ni Al

Composition (%) 0.36 0.28 1.52 0.008 0.001 1.88 0.22 0.95 0.021

TABLE 3.—Properties of biodielectrics BD1, BD2, and kerosene.

Density Viscosity at Thermal conductivity Specific heat Flash point BD voltage Dielectric
No. Dielectric (g=ml) (40 C) (W=m.K) (KJ=kg.K) ( C) (KV=2.5 mm) constant

1 Kerosene 0.80 2.71 0.15 2.01 81 18 4.7

2 BD1 0.8787 4.72 0.157 1.90 158 35.8 2.53
3 BD2 0.8932 9.55 0.20 1.67 171 26 2.86
 GREEN DIELECTRICS FOR SUSTAINABLE ELECTRIC DISCHARGE MACHINING 543
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FIGURE 1.—EDM machine used for the experiment.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Performance analysis is mainly aimed to study and
analyze the relative performance of the proposed biodi-
electrics, i.e., BD1 and BD2 with that of kerosene.
Influence of control parameters, i.e., current, gap
voltage, Ton, and Toff on MRR, EWR, and RWR has
been stated as below. MRR is termed as machining time
per unit volume of material removed, which is related to
the production cost. Higher MRR is desirable for
achieving more economical production. EWR is related
to the amount of erosion and electrode material
experience during the experiment. It is associated with
the tooling cost of the process. Hence, lower EWR is
desirable to justify the economic feasibility of the
suggested biodielectrics. RWR is related to the relative
material erosion rate of MRR and EWR. Lower RWR
is preferable from a machining economics point of view.
Figure 2(a)–2(c) shows the actual pictures of the
workpiece samples produced during experiments and
used electrode samples are shown in Fig. 2(d).
Results in Fig. 3(a) show the comparative plots for
MRR under the influence of current. It has been
observed that with increase in current values, MRR
increases for the three fluids. It is attributed to many rea-
sons. With increase in current values, more number of
electrons strike the work surface and raise the surface
temperature. Therefore, more volume of work material
TABLE 4.—Experimental control parameters and its levels.
Current (A) 3,6,9,12,15,18
Pulse ON time (m sec) 21,50,100,200,400,600
Pulse OFF=interval time ( msec) 6,11,20,30,40,75
Gap voltage (KV) 30,40,50,60,70,80
is eroded [15, 25, 26]. Moreover, higher current density
increases the temperature and pressure inside the plasma
channel, which eventually increases the erosion of the
work material [27]. For the same current values, BD2
resulted in the highest MRR, followed by BD1 and
kerosene. The average relative performance of BD1
was 38% higher, while BD2 performed 165% better than
kerosene. The resulted higher MRR in the case of BD1
and BD2 is due to higher breakdown voltage and vis-
cosity, which could have resulted into higher spark
energy density [28]. Moreover, higher oxygen content
of BD1 and BD2 [29] generated higher average tempera-
ture of plasma channel, which could have improved
melting and evaporation of work material and hence
MRR [13]. Also, higher oxygen content could have
ensured better dispersion of discharge energy to increase
MRR [30].
TABLE 5.—Constant parameters and its values.
Polarity Straight (electrode negative and workpiece
positive)
Electrode material Electrolytic grade copper (99.7%)
Workpiece material M238 HH grade (P20 þ ) cold-worked die steel
(plastic mold steel)
Flushing type Submerged single-jet flushing
Dielectric fluid Biodielectrics BD1, BD2, and kerosene
Machining time for 10 minutes
each sample
Electrode shape and Circular rod with /20 mm
size
Work material size and Rectangular plate with dimensions of
shape 110  75  15 mm
Duty factor (%) 60%–70%
 544 J. B. VALAKI AND P. P. RATHOD
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FIGURE 2.—Electric discharge machined workpiece Samples using (a) BD1, (b) BD2, (c) kerosene, and (d) electrode sample.

Figure 3(b) represents the comparative performance behaviour is attributed to striking of more number of
of EWR under the influence of current. Results indi- positive ions on the electrode surface, resulting in a
cated that EWR increases with increase in current. This higher thermal state of electrodes which eventually

FIGURE 3.—Influence of current on (a) MRR, (b) EWR, and (c) RWR.
 GREEN DIELECTRICS FOR SUSTAINABLE ELECTRIC DISCHARGE MACHINING
contributed to erosion of low melting point electrode
material [31]. BD1 and BD2 resulted in approximately
100% and 275% higher EWR, respectively, compared
to kerosene for the same set of parameters. The resulted
higher EWR may be due to higher oxygen content in
BD1 and BD2 [29] that could have produced intense
oxidation and highly conductive discharge channel,
allowing more number of ions to strike on the electrode
surface.
Figure 3(c) shows the relative performance for RWR
at various current values. It can be seen that higher
RWR was obtained at low current values, and it
decreased up to 9A current and then it increased. It is
attributed to the fact that at lower current, lower electri-
cal conductivity of the partially ionized state of the
plasma channel hinders the electron movement toward
the electrode surface which in turn decreases the RWR
[19]. Increase in the current results in higher erosion of
workpiece due to higher thermal energy. Further
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increase in the current value beyond 9A, due to the
highly conductive nature of the plasma channel, causes
more number of positive ions to strike with the electrode
surface to increase EWR, which in turn results in
increased RWR. Average RWR for BD1 is 60% higher
and BD2 is 45% higher than kerosene. Higher RWR
for BD1 and BD2 may be due to higher thermal
FIGURE 4.—Influence of gap voltage on (a) MRR (b) EWR, and (c) RWR.
545
conductivity, viscosity, and oxygen content, which could
have maintained higher energy levels of the electrode
which intensify the oxidation and subsequent melting
and evaporation of the electrode material [28, 30].
Figure 4(a) indicates the influence of gap voltage on
MRR. It can be noticed that MRR decreases with
increase in gap voltage for the three dielectrics. Gap
voltage relates to the width of sparking gap. Higher
gap voltage widens the sparking gap [32] and hence
decreases the spark energy density, which eventually
decreased MRR. Average MRR for BD1 is 15% higher
and BD2 is 145% higher than kerosene. Higher MRR
values for BD1 and BD2 are attributed to higher BD
voltage, which allowed higher spark energy density due
to delayed dielectric breakdown [28].
Comparative performance of EWR under the influ-
ence of gap voltage for the three dielectrics is shown in
Fig. 4(b). It has been observed that EWR decreases with
increase in gap voltage. It is due to enlargement of
sparking gap when the gap voltage increases [32]. It
minimizes the intensity of striking of positive ions on
the electrode surface and reduces the electrode wear.
Moreover, wider sparking gap reduces energy density
in the machining gap, hence resulting in a decreasing
EWR pattern. Compared to kerosene, BD1 produced
25% higher EWR and BD2 produced 150% higher
 546
EWR. The resulted higher EWR for BD1 and BD2 may
be due to delayed dielectric breakdown because of
higher BD voltage and concentrated spark energy
because of higher viscosity in the case of BD1 and
BD2 [33].
Figure 4(c) indicates the results of RWR under the
influence of gap voltage. It can be seen that gap voltage
has limited influence on RWR. At higher voltage, attack
of positive ions on the electrode surface is more severe
than attack of electrons on work surface due to wider
gap distance. Hence, RWR increases at higher voltage
values. Average RWR obtained using BD1 is 35% higher
and 23% lower for BD2 compared to kerosene. Higher
RWR for BD1 may be due to higher viscosity and BD
voltage of BD1 which could have accumulated high
energy in electrode resulting in more erosion of the
electrode compared to the workpiece. Moreover, lower
RWR of BD2 may be due to higher viscosity and
thermal conductivity of BD2 which could have trans-
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ferred more energy toward work material to erode more
workpiece material than electrode material.
Figure 5(a) shows the performance of MRR at various
levels of Ton. The results obtained portray that MRR
increases with increase in Ton up to 100 msec and with
further increase in Ton, it shows a declining pattern.
With increase in Ton, discharge channel becomes wider
and spark discharge energy was available for longer
duration, which eventually prolonged melting and
FIGURE 5.—Influence of Ton on (a) MRR, (b) EWR, and (c) RWR.
J. B. VALAKI AND P. P. RATHOD
evaporation phenomenon and hence resulted in higher
MRR for the selected fluids [25, 26, 28]. However, the
energy density of electrical discharge reduces for higher
Ton beyond a threshold value, i.e., 100 msec. It has been
noticed that average MRR is 26% higher for BD1 and
225% higher for BD2 compared to kerosene. The
resulted higher MRR may be due to higher thermal con-
ductivities of BD1 and BD2 which could have ensured
better transfer of thermal energy toward the sparking
area. Moreover, lower specific heat of BD1 and BD2
improves heat utilization ratio and higher viscosity
enhanced debris evacuation tendency to increase MRR
[30].
Figure 5(b) indicates the influence of Ton on EWR. It
can be seen that with increase in Ton values, EWR
increased initially, reached maximum, and decreased
thereon. This behavior is similar to the work of some
researchers [26–28, 30]. It can be attributed to the avail-
ability of more time for positive ions to strike the elec-
trode surface because of increase in Ton which
eventually increased EWR. However, with further
increase in Ton, wider discharge channel weakens the dis-
charge energy density and plasma flushing efficiency to
reduce EWR [26]. It is noted that compared to kerosene,
BD1 and BD2 resulted in 66% and 121% higher EWR,
respectively. It is due to the reason that BD1 and BD2
have less number of carbon atoms than kerosene [29]
and at higher Ton, more carbon atoms decompose and
 GREEN DIELECTRICS FOR SUSTAINABLE ELECTRIC DISCHARGE MACHINING
deposit on the electrode surface in the case of kerosene
than for BD1 and BD2 [9, 34]. The resulted lower
EWR in the case of kerosene may be due to the
deposited carbon layer on the electrode surface that
could have eroded lesser electrode material. Moreover,
resulted higher EWR in BD1 and BD2 may be due to
higher viscosities, which could have hindered heat trans-
fer toward the workpiece to accumulate more heat into
electrode surface causing increased erosion of electrode
volume [30].
Effect of Ton on the relative performance for RWR is
shown in Fig. 5(c). It can be seen that increase in Ton
decreases the RWR. Higher pulse duration allows more
time for energy dissipation in the sparking gap. More-
over, higher thermal conductivity of copper electrode
minimizes the energy concentration and results in lesser
electrode material erosion compared to the work
material, which in turn reduces RWR [26]. Comparative
results indicated that BD1 generates 30% higher EWR
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and BD2 resulted in 7% lower RWR compared to kero-
sene. Resulted lower RWR in the case of BD2 is due to
higher viscosity of BD2 which could have increased the
energy density [30] and higher thermal conductivity
allowed more heat transfer toward the work material.
Figure 6(a) indicates the comparative performance of
MRR under the influence of Toff. The results obtained
show that MRR decreases with increase in Toff values.
Increase in Toff indicates lower energy transfer per unit
time. Higher Toff value results in smaller plasma
FIGURE 6.—Influence of Toff on (a) MRR, (b) EWR, and (c) RWR.
547
discharge channel and hence reduces the area for striking
positive ions on the work surface [35]. Moreover, higher
Toff allows proper deionization; thus higher energy is
expensed for reionization of the dielectrics [32]. Lower
pulse frequency and consequently availability of lesser
discharge energy for melting and vaporizing resulted in
a lower MRR [31, 36]. BD1 resulted in 28% higher
MRR and BD2 resulted in 146% higher MRR compared
to kerosene. Higher MRR obtained may be due to higher
thermal conductivities and lower specific heats of BD1
and BD2, which could have helped to sustain the ionized
state for longer duration and longer erosion cycles[ ].
Figure 6(b) indicates the influence of Toff on EWR. It
can be seen that Toff affects EWR to a small extent only.
Higher pulse interval time minimizes the chances of
unwanted arcing and also makes discharge channel
smaller [37]. Results indicated that BD1 and BD2
produce 70% and 130% higher EWR, respectively,
compared to kerosene. The resulted higher EWR in
the case of BD1 and BD2 may be attributed to higher
spark energy density because of higher BD voltage and
viscosity than kerosene [30, 33].
Figure 6(c) indicates the relative performance of RWR
under the effect of Toff. It can be seen that the effect of Toff
on RWR is less significant. It is due to the fact that Toff
affects MRR and EWR equally, and hence RWR is not
affected significantly [32]. Longer Toff time allows proper
deionization of the dielectric and mitigates unfavorable
arcing, and improved stability of sparking cycles
 548 J. B. VALAKI AND P. P. RATHOD

TABLE 6.—Summary of relative performance comparison of BD1 and BD2 volume alters dimensional and geometrical accura-
w.r.t. kerosene. cies of the electrode at a faster rate. It gives less unit
S. No. Dielectric fluid Parameters MRR EWR RWR
production per electrode. Hence, tooling cost can be
higher in the case of biodielectrics.
1 BD1 Current 138 200 160 (c) BD1 and BD2 exhibited response patterns similar to
Gap voltage 126 166 135 kerosene for MRR, EWR, and RWR. It is an indi-
Ton 128 169 130 cation that material process mechanics and erosion
Toff 115 125 107 phenomenon for biodielectrics are similar to kero-
2 BD2 Current 265 375 145
sene. This proves the feasibility of biodielectrics for
Gap voltage 325 221 77
Ton 246 230 93
EDM. BD2 is found to be the best fluid for MRR
Toff 245 250 103 and RWR followed by BD1 and kerosene.
(d) Results of ANOVA indicates that current is the most
significant parameter for MRR and EWR. BD1 and
BD2 resulted in 38% and 165% higher MRR,
TABLE 7.—Summary of the results of ANOVA analysis. respectively, than kerosene. In addition, BD1 and
BD2 resulted in 100% and 275% higher EWR than
Response kerosene.
parameter Kerosene BD1 BD2
(e) As per the ANOVA results, pulse on time is the most
MRR Current—71% Current—82% Current—77% significant parameter for RWR. Under the influence
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EWR Current—56% Pulse on Current—84% Current—95% of Ton, BD1 produced 30% higher RWR, while
time—41% BD2 produced 7% lower RWR than kerosene.
TWR Pulse on time—96% Pulse on Pulse on
time—99% time—82%

minimizes the variation in erosion rates [37]. Results
obtained for RWR is 7% higher for BD1 while BD2
shows 3% higher RWR compared to kerosene. The results
obtained indicate that the relative performance of BD1
and BD2 are similar to that of kerosene in terms of RWR.
A summary of the relative performance of BD1 and
BD2 in percentage with respect to kerosene under the
influence of the four input parameters is presented in
Table 6.
ANOVA has been performed to analyze the contri-
bution of input parameters on the response parameters,
i.e., MRR, EWR, and RWR. MINITAB 16 statistical
analysis software was used to perform ANOVA.
ANOVA results are obtained using general linear model
and 95% confidence level. P-value of less than 0.05 was
taken as basis to categorize the significance of the para-
meter on the quality characteristics. ANOVA tables
have been generated for the three dielectric fluids.
Results obtained from ANOVA are summarized in
Table 7. For each dielectric fluid, input parameter
having the highest significance with its percentage
contribution is stated in the tabular form.
CONCLUSIONS
Application of biodielectrics has been demonstrated in
this work. Research outcomes of this study are listed as
below.
(a) Vegetable oil-based biodielectrics proposed in this
study resulted in higher MRR for die sinking
EDM than kerosene as dielectric. Biodielectrics
removed more material volume per unit time; hence
lower machining cost is possible.
(b) EWR obtained using BD1 and BD2 biodielectrics
was higher than kerosene. Higher electrode erosion
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors wish to express their gratitude to Prof.
Bharat C Khatri, L.D. College of Engineering, Ahmeda-
bad, for extending his full remarks in improving the
quality of the manuscript. The authors also thank Dr
Pratyush Maiti, Senior Principal Scientist, Biodiesel
Research Laboratory, CSMCRI, Bhavnagar (A CSIR,
New Delhi Research laboratory), and Ms. Hetal
Bosamiya, project coordinator, for extending their
valuable help in the preparation and testing of biofluids
for this research. Special thanks go to Commissionerate
of Technical Education, Gujarat state, India, for
providing infrastructural and moral support to carry
out this research work.
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