Experimental Evaluation of Croton Megalocarpus Oil as a Bio-Based Cutting Fluid in Turning Inconel 718 Alloys
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The use of conventional petroleum-based cutting fluids poses significant environmental and occupational health concerns, highlighting the need for biodegradable alternatives in modern manufacturing. Exposure to cutting-fluid mists and volatile compounds generated during machining can cause respiratory irritation, skin disorders, and asthma. This study investigated the performance of Croton megalocarpus oil as a bio-based cutting fluid for machining Inconel 718. The performance of three cutting fluids was compared: conventional mineral cutting oil, filtered Croton megalocarpus base oil, and Croton megalocarpus oil containing 0.5 wt% graphene nanoparticles. Turning experiments were conducted on a TSL-550D precision lathe under identical machining conditions for all three fluids. The results showed that pure Croton oil reduced the cutting temperature to 160 ℃, representing a 5.3% reduction compared with mineral oil (169 ℃). The graphene-enhanced Croton oil provided the greatest reduction in cutting temperature, with a mean value of 136 ℃, corresponding to a 19.5% reduction relative to mineral oil. It also produced the lowest surface roughness (1.68 μm), compared with 1.72 μm for pure Croton oil and 1.70 μm for mineral oil. These results indicate that graphene-enhanced Croton megalocarpus oil has potential as a bio-based alternative to conventional mineral cutting fluids for machining Inconel 718.
DOI: 10.48084/etasr.20434
Authors: Dickson Ondari Nyangau, Okokpujie Imhade
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $431
OpenAlex ID: W7218876387