Structural and Microhardness Changes After Turning of the AISI 1045 Steel for Minimum Quantity Cooling Lubrication

This work presents the cooling effect under minimum quantity cooling lubrication and dry cutting on structural changes and microhardness of the ferritic-pearlitic AISI 1045 steel after turning. Due to the fact that the AISI 1045 steel has a two-phase structure, microhardness tests using the Vickers method were conducted with a load of 0.05 HV separately for ferrite and pearlite grains. The tests showed that cooling of the cutting zone under minimum quantity cooling lubrication (MQCL) condition decreased the depth of the hardened layer compared to dry cutting by approximately 40% for both pearlite and ferrite. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that applying MQCL limits the formation of plastic deformations, among others, by reducing the surface crumple zone by approximately 50% compared to dry cutting. As a result of cooling being applied to the cutting zone using the MQCL method, the average diameter of ferrite grains has been decreased in the entire surface area compared to dry cutting. When using dry cutting, clear structural changes of the surface layer were also observed. This may be the result of sulfide inclusions which have formed, causing microcracks on the edge of the hardened layer and surface deformation visible as notches.