Machinability performance of nickel alloy X-750 with SiAlON ceramic cutting tool under dry, MQL and hBN mixed nanofluid-MQL

Nickel alloy X-750 which is difficult-to-machine material, is employed in many critical fields owing to its superior mechanical and thermal properties. However, these superior features lead to some difficulties in its machinability especially when using carbide tool materials. Hence, ceramic cutting tools (CCTs) having excellent hardness, heat and abrasion resistance, and poor chemical proximity to workpiece material are a perfect choice in machining operations of such materials. Considering this, the current study focused on the influence of various cutting environment, i.e., dry, base fluid-MQL without any mixed nanoparticles (BF-MQL) and hBN dispersed nanofluid-MQL (NF-MQL) on surface roughness, 2D-surface topography, maximum cutting temperature, cutting force, micro-hardness, flank wear and its mechanism when milling of alloy X-750 with Sialon ceramic tools. As a result, surface roughness was reduced by about 39% and 47.2% with BF-MQL (0 vol% additive) and hBN mixed NF-MQL, respectively compared to dry machining environment. Also the noticeable improvement with NF-MQL environment in 2D-surface topography of workpice, cutting temperature and cutting force has been achieved, the dry machining offered less tool wear for CCT than both BF-MQL and NF-MQL. •Dry, BF-MQL and hBN mixed nanofluid-MQL were used in experiments.•Nickel alloy X-750 was milled with SiAlON tool under different machining modes.•Wear performance of SiAlON ceramic tool was investigated.•Microhardness, surface roughness/topography, force and temperature were studied.•NF-MQL exhibited good performance in surface condition, force and temperature.