Potential use of minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) in machining of biocompatible materials using environment friendly cutting fluids: An overview

Use of cutting fluids during machining is necessary as it not only removes the heat produced during the shearing of the work piece but also provides lubrication at the interface of chip and tool. Flood lubrication is the most generally used method of supplying cutting fluid in metal cutting industries where a large continuous stream of cutting fluid at the rate of 10-12 l/min at low pressure is supplied to the cutting zone. Most of cutting fluids when disposed to the environment cause serious environmental problems. From the view point of these ecological problems along with the concern regarding the operator's health and an increased associated machining cost, there have been enormous efforts to restrict the application of the cutting fluids. In this regard dry cutting may seem a viable alternative but it is not found suitable especially for hard cutting materials like Titanium alloys and Nickel based super alloys which are used extensively in manufacturing of body implants. In this paper minimum quantity lubrication method is reviewed to find whether it can be used as viable alternative to conventional cutting fluid supplying methods in the manufacturing of bio-implants where a considerably higher surface integrity is desired in the finished component.