Graphene nano-powder mixed electric discharge machining of Inconel 625 alloy: optimization of process parameters for material removal rate

A nickel-based alloy called Inconel 625 is used in vehicles, ships, and airplanes for different components. These materials need the use of non-traditional technologies, such as electro discharge machining (EDM), because of their exceptional strength and hardness, making it difficult to machine and build them using conventional methods. To alleviate the machining performance powder mixed EDM (PMEDM) was utilized in the current study. In this study, the influence of graphene powder at different concentrations (0.2 and 0.4 wt.%) on the rate of material removal during the PMEDM process was examined. Three input process variables powder concentration, current, and pulse on time were taken into account throughout the trials, and their impact on the material removal rate (MRR) was ascertained. The maximum MRR was recorded with a powder concentration of 0.4 wt.% in dielectric medium, 12 A current, and a 50 µs pulse on time. The optimal parametric configuration of the three components was established using the experimental data, producing the highest MRR, which was evaluated experimentally and found to be very comparable to the predicted one with a maximum error of 7.65%.