Investigation to study the applicability of solid lubricant in turning AISI 1040 steel

Machining of materials has received substantial attention due to the increasing use of machining processes in various industrial applications. The research in this area is intended mainly to improve the machining of process so as to achieve the required surface quality. Machining processes, though employed widely as in metal removal process, have their own share of problems, such as high machining zone temperature, which may lead to poor surface quality. Machining fluids are applied in different forms to control such a high temperature, but they are partially effective within a narrow working range; recent studies also indicate their polluting nature. Solid lubricant assisted machining is a novel concept to control the machining zone temperature without polluting the environment. Solid lubricant, if employed properly, could control the machining zone temperature effectively by intensive removal of heat from the machining zone. A new experimental setup has been envisaged and built. Experiments have been carried out to study the effect of solid lubricant on surface finish and chip thickness. Results indicate that the effectiveness of solid lubricant is substantial through the experimental domains.