Novel use of cryogenic cooling conditions in improving the machining performance of Al 8011/nano-SiC composites

The inclusion of nanoparticles makes the composite not only stronger but also lighter and highly resistant towards wear among many other positive attributes. However, the high hardness and abrasive characteristics of the composites make machining a formidable task. Hence to surmount these challenges, various coolant conditions have been entailed like dry machining, flood cooling, minimum quantity lubrication (MQL), and cryogenic (cryo) CO₂ cooling. This investigation encompasses the influence of diverse coolant techniques during the machining of as casted aluminium with nano silicon carbide (Al/n-SiC) composite. This study further incites the analysis of the machining temperature, surface characteristics, flank wear, and chip morphology under each coolant techniques. The outcomes of this investigation furnish a comprehensive understanding of the impact of distinct coolant environments on the machining performance of Al/n-SiC composite. The cutting temperature under cryo-CO₂ was found to be lowered by 41–47%, 15–21%, and 8–12% when compared to the usage of dry, flood, and MQL, respectively. The study unveils that cryo-CO₂ cooling developed the lowest machining temperature, followed by MQL, flood cooling, and dry machining. Furthermore, cryo-CO₂ cooling and MQL exhibited the best outcome in terms of flank wear and surface characteristics. The verdicts of this investigation suggest the use of cryo-CO₂ cooling and MQL makes eloquent improvement in the machining performances of Al/n-SiC composites.