Understanding the machining characteristics of Al6082 hybrid metal matrix composites milled under cryogenic cooling conditions

Cutting fluid used in machining is under investigation to check the achievement of sustainability and the cleaner process by the machining process. Many attempts were made to find new cooling strategies as an alternative to the existing cooling methods. Cryogenic cooling was an efficient method to move towards sustainability for machining any materials and to ensure green machining. Machining of Al6082 HMMC has been carried out under distinct cutting environments. The fallout of these cutting environments was studied based on parameters like surface roughness, cutting temperature, chip morphology, and tool wear. The application of cryogenic CO₂ substantially reduced the tool wear by 37% and 48% when compared to MQL and wet conditions. The SEM image of the worn tool disclosed that adopting the cryogenic cooling technique led to less crater wear and prevented the peeling of the tool layer to some extent. The impressive cooling effect of cryogenic cooling also produced a good surface finish on the machined surface compared to the other cooling environments. Thus, cryogenic cooling proved to be trustworthy in all the output parameters.