Surface integrity in grinding of Ti-6Al-4V using monolayer superabrasive wheel

Titanium alloy is considered to be difficult to grind due to its low thermal conductivity, relatively high grinding temperature and its reactivity with almost all grit materials. Residual stress on the ground surface, which is one of the major aspects of surface integrity, has not been studied well in case of grinding of Ti- alloys. Further, investigations assessing the effectiveness of emulsion of vegetable oil in water as a grinding fluid applied in minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) mode are lacking. The present work endeavours to experimentally study the effect of different grinding fluids applied in MQL mode in comparison to flood cooling with soluble oil on different grindability characteristics with particular emphasis on residual stress. Neat oil, applied in MQL mode, has provided a reduction in grinding forces, even in comparison to flood cooling. It has also yielded overall competitive performance in comparison to flood cooling from the perspective of surface roughness, residual stress, and ground surface topography.