Exploration of graphene assisted vegetables oil based minimum quantity lubrication for surface grinding of TI-6AL-4V-ELI

To propose an environment benign process; the surface grinding of ‘Ti–6Al–4V-ELI’ was carried out under 20 different grinding-environments viz. dry grinding, conventional flood cooling using synthetic fluid and minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) using three types of biodegradable vegetable oils (with and without graphene nanoplatelets). Due to the unique properties of graphene nano-additives viz. exceptionally high thermal-conductivity, superoleophilic nature, adsorption phenomena, large surface area (200 m2/g), interlayer shear-ability and polar bonding of vegetable oils; a synergistic lubrication film was developed that had exhibited excellent grinding performance. The 1.5 wt% graphene in canola oil-based MQL had resulted in 16.9%, 22.1%, 33.83% and 15.1% reduced values of surface roughness (Ra), grinding force (Fn), specific grinding energy and coefficient-of-friction in comparison to conventional flood cooling. •In-spite of intense R&D on graphene for its myriad applications; its tribological potential is still unexplored.•The experimental study examines graphene nanofluids effectiveness in the surface grinding for green tribology.•The tribological potential of vegetable oils raised by many folds with the aid of graphene nano-additives.•Surface grinding performance is measured in terms of surface roughness, grinding forces, specific grinding energy and COF.•Rheological behavior of nanofluids; SEM, EDX and Raman spectroscopy is also conducted.