CUTTING FLUIDS

Cutting fluid is a fluid used primarily to remove heat generated during

metal cutting & other machining processes. It is also used as a lubricant in
some cases. They are also used to improve cutting conditions and tool life.

The cutting fluids reduce friction between the tool and the chip and
between the tool and the workpiece. If the correct amount of cutting fluid
is applied, heat can be removed as soon as it is generated. So cutting fluids
is necessary to increase production efficiency.

Cutting fluids can be in liquid or gaseous forms. It is mainly used in

metal processes such as machining and stamping.

Cutting fluids are of various types such as oil, oil-water emission,

pastes, gels, etc.
The cutting fluid may be referred to as the cutting fluid, cutting oil, coolant,
or lubricant, depending on the type of cutting fluid and its use. Cutting fluids
can be beneficial for most metal and machining processes.

TYPES OF CUTTING FLUIDS:

1. Straight Oil

Straight oils are non-emulsifying. These oils are used without diluting
them with water. The compositions of this type of oil are base minerals or
petroleum oil. Examples of straight oil are paraffin oil, Naphthenic oil,
vegetable oil.

In systems where environmentally friendly oil is required, vegetable

oil is used because it is biodegradable. Straight oils are best for lubricating,
but they cannot serve as a good coolant because they have very cool
properties.
2. Soluble Oil

Soluble oils are made by mixing mineral oil, water, & coupling agents.
It provides good lubrication between water-inaccurate liquids. Soluble oils
are used in the machining of both ferrous and non-ferrous metals when
high cooling quality is required & chip bearing capacity is not very high.

This soluble oil works well in its diluted form and provides great
lubrication in addition to heat transfer. Soluble oils are the most widely used
liquids in the industry, and also they are very cheap.

3. Mineral Oil

Mineral oils are typically found in high production machines that have
high metal removal rates. They are used in heavy cutting operations as
they have very good lubricating properties. A disadvantage of these oils is
that they are corrosives and therefore are not used for copper or its alloys.

4. Synthetic Liquids

As these are synthetic liquids, they do not contain mineral oil or

petroleum. These are water-based liquids, and water provides very good
cooling properties. The problem with synthetic fluids is that it is not a good
lubricant and also causes corrosion.

Corrosion or corrosion can be prevented by adding corrosion inhibitors to

synthetic liquids. Typically, synthetic fluids are used in grinding liquids.

5. Semi-Synthetic Fluids

Semi-synthetic fluid is made from a combination of synthetic fluid and

soluble oils. For semi-synthetic liquids, approximately 5 to 20% of mineral
oil is emitted with water to produce micro abrasion. The size of microalgae
particles varies from 0.01 to 0.1 mm, which can easily transmit all light.
 Semi-synthetic fluids have very good cooling properties and cost
between synthetic fluid and soluble fluid costs. Some examples are
molybdenum disulphides, graphite, wax stick, etc.

6. Solid and Paste Lubricants

These lubricants are in the solids phase or as a paste. These lubricants

are placed directly on the workpiece or tool. Some examples of this are
molybdenum disulphide, graphite, wax stick, etc.

7. Cutting Oil

Cutting oil is made by mixing minerals oil & fatty oil. It is used as both a
coolant and a lubricant.

USES OF CUTTING FLUIDS:

The cutting fluid can be used for different purposes. Some of its uses are
listed below:

 Used as a coolant:- The main task for which the fluid was discovered
is to cool the equipment and workpiece. By cooling the equipment and
workpiece, we can reduce tool wear, thermal expansion of the tool,
and a good surface finish.

 Used for lubrication:- Cutting fluids are also used for lubrication. By
lubricating, chips & other contaminants can be easily removed from
the workpiece.

 Used for cleaning the machining area:- Cutting fluids are also used as
a cleansing agent and remove dust near and inside the cutting area.
This dust removal is important because dust can cause uneven bites.

 Is used to reduce friction:- The cutting fluid also reduces friction

between the tool and the workpiece, which keeps the cutting forces
down and also reduces heat generation.
  It is used to improve the surface’s finish by protecting the newly
formed surface from oxidation and corrosion.

 It is used to prevent rust.

 This allows the use of higher cutting speeds and larger metal removal
rates.

 It prevents the formation of built-up edges (BUE).

 It is also used to extract chips from the cutting zone.

SELECTION OF CUTTING FLUID:

The choice of cutting fluid in machining processes depends on various

factors. Cutting fluids are selected according to which the main factors are
given below:

1. Machining Process Type

Typically, more difficult machining processes more cutting fluids.

Heavy cutting oil is required for heavy machining processes such as broking
or screwing with a tap. Heavy cutting oils should be used in horizontal
broking, but in the vertical broking process, emulsions and solutions may
be used.
For the threading and drillings process, the cooling characteristics of
cuttings fluids are more important.

2. Workpiece Material

The next factor for the selection of cuttings fluids is the workpiece
material. The cast iron and cast group of materials are brittle during
machining, and therefore small chips are produced that do not cause too
much friction. For steel and stainless steel workpiece materials, high-
pressure cutting oils should be used.
For machining of steel alloys, water-based cutting fluids are used because
they are heat resistant & difficult to cut.
3. Cutting Tool Material

Another’s a factor for the selection of cutting tool materials is cutting

tool material. High-speed steel cuttings tools can be used with any type of
cutting tool, but when the material is difficult to cut, the waterless cutting
liquid is used with the HSS cutting tool.

For tungsten carbides, the cooling characteristics of cutting fluids are more
important because higher heat is produced when it is used as a cutting tool
material.

PROPERTIES OF GOOD CUTTING FLUID:

 Cutting fluid should have good antivirus properties.

 It should not foam easily.

 It should be chemically neutral & should not harm the machine and
operator.

 It must have high specific heat or high heat-absorbing ability to

disperse the heat generated during machining.

 It should be transparent so that the operators can easily go through it

in the cutting area.

 It should have good lubricating properties so that it reduces friction

during machining.

 It should be nontoxic when it comes in contact with heating and should

not create any toxic fumes.

 It should be odourless and should not cause any odour at high

temperatures.

 It should have low viscosities so that it can flow easily over the
workpiece.

 It should be non-corrosive for workpiece and machines.

 It should not glue parts of the machine.

 It should have small molecular sizes to allow it to penetrate the chip
tool interface and spread rapidly.

 It should have a high flash point & should not burn due to heat
generated during machining.