Cryogenic milling of aluminum metal matrix composite A356-10%SiC: study of the tool wear size, morphology, and surface quality

The aluminum metal matrix composites (Al-MMCs), reinforced with additional elements, including silicon carbide particles (SiC), are widely used in various industrial sectors and components. The main advantages of Al-MMCs are but not limited to high hardness, strength, and lightweight, while the main disadvantages are weak machinability and high wear in cutting tools. However, the literature review denotes that only limited studies are available on the effects of different cooling and lubrication methods, especially cryonic cooling parameters, on the tool wear morphologies, tool life, and the surface quality attributes of Al-MMCs parts. In cryogenic processes, various super-cold liquids, such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide, are employed around − 200°. Therefore, in this work, the effects of both cutting and cryogenic parameters on the flank wear size and surface roughness attributes Ra, Rq, and Rz were studied in the slot milling A356-10%SiC, which has received limited attention in the literature. The statistical analysis showed that the effect of cutting and cryogenic cooling parameters on the wear size was significant ( R 2 = 0.97). Compared with reported works, tool life was improved by around 26% under the same cutting conditions compared to readings made under dry mode. However, despite the measurement zone, an insignificant relationship was observed between surface roughness attributes and cutting parameters. Nevertheless, regardless of the roughness measurement zone, Ra had the highest correlation of determination ( R 2 ) to variation of cutting parameters, and cryogenic pressure had the most significant effect on all studied roughness attributes.