Effectiveness of Sunflower Oil as Prospective Cutting Fluid During Minimum Quantity Lubrication Turning of AISI 1024 Steel

Abstract This research investigates the impact of cutting parameters and machining environment on machine sound level (MSL), machine vibration rate (MVR), and cutting temperature (CT) during the turning of AISI 1024 carbon steel. Two lubricants, sunflower oil and mineral oil, were assessed in various conditions of spindle speed (SS), feed rate (FR), and depth of cut (DOC). A total of nine trials were conducted using a Taguchi L9 orthogonal array. The machine noise level, MVR, and CT were recorded and analyzed to compare the effectiveness of sunflower oil and mineral oil. The findings indicated that sunflower oil consistently outperformed mineral oil, showing lower machine noise levels, MVRs, and CTs across all experimental runs. On average, sunflower oil reduced MSL by approximately 13% and CT by 16.2% compared to mineral oil. Contour and surface plots revealed the optimal combinations of cutting parameters for minimizing sound levels, vibration rates, and temperatures when using sunflower oil. The findings showed that sunflower oil possesses superior lubrication and cooling properties, making it a promising environmentally friendly substitute to mineral oil for machining operations on AISI 1024 steel. Recommendations for future research include exploring sunflower oil’s applicability to other materials and processes, assessing its economic and environmental impact, investigating potential synergies with different cooling techniques, and facilitating industrial implementation through collaborative efforts.