The basic components of metalworking fluids are summarized as consisting of base materials and various additives. Base materials refer to the main components or carriers of metalworking fluids, which are used to dissolve and mix various functional additives. Commonly used base materials include water,
Base Oil, animal and vegetable oils, alcohol and chemical solvents. Functional additives include oiliness agents, extreme pressure agents (or EP agents), rust inhibitors, viscosity index improvers, emulsifiers, antioxidants, pour point depressants, antifoaming agents, smoke suppressants, preservatives and bactericides, etc.
Metalworking fluids are divided into two categories: cutting fluids and forming lubricants. According to the type of machine tool and the method of material removal, they can be divided into cutting fluids, grinding fluids, electroprocessing fluids and forming lubricants.
Cutting fluid is a lubricating and cooling medium used to lubricate and cool workpieces and tools or abrasives during cutting. Reasonable selection of cutting fluid can effectively reduce friction during cutting, improve heat dissipation conditions, reduce cutting force and cutting temperature, improve cutting efficiency and tool durability, and ensure the surface quality of the workpiece.
Synthetic cutting fluid is composed of various water-soluble additives and water, and does not contain mineral oil. Its concentrate can be liquid, paste and solid powder, etc. When used, it is diluted with a certain proportion of water to form a transparent or translucent diluent, which has a long service life, excellent cooling and cleaning performance, and good anti-rust performance. It is suitable for grinding and cutting of steel, copper, aluminum and their alloys, and is also suitable for high-speed cutting. Since the synthetic fluid is transparent and has good visibility, it is particularly suitable for use in CNC machine tools, machining centers, etc.
Semi-synthetic cutting fluid (microemulsion) is a product between emulsified oil and synthetic cutting fluid. It has both the lubricity of emulsion and the cleaning property of synthetic fluid. A certain proportion of water is allowed in the original solution of microemulsion, and its water dilution becomes translucent and slightly fluorescent. The alkali reserve and pH value of the microemulsion can be relatively increased, making the continuous use cycle of the microemulsion significantly longer than that of emulsified oil.
Grinding is a processing method that uses a grinding wheel to rotate at high speed to cut workpieces. Its characteristics include multi-edge ultra-fine cutting by abrasive grains, very high-speed cutting, and the self-sharpening effect of the abrasive cutting edges. According to the different characteristics of grinding, the grinding fluid needs to have good cooling, lubrication, penetration and cleaning, sedimentation, antibacterial, defoaming, and rust prevention properties. It also needs to have other functions, such as no harm to the human body; no smoke or less smoke; easy to recycle, low pollution, simple waste liquid treatment, etc.
Electrospark machining is also called discharge machining or electro-erosion machining. Different from general mechanical cutting, electrospark machining can process materials and complex-shaped workpieces that are difficult to cut with ordinary cutting methods. It can perform rough, semi-finishing and finishing machining continuously on the same machine tool. Electrospark working fluid plays the role of cooling, insulation and chip removal during the machining process. It is mainly divided into electrospark machining fluid and electrospark wire cutting fluid.
