ECM: Reducing the Use of Environmentally Hazardous Fluids in Grinding

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9528679 Lavine The fluids used in grinding present an environmental hazard. They adversely affect the health of personnel in the machine room, and used grinding fluid containing metal chips is a source of pollution which must be properly disposed of. The objective of this research is to develop a variety of strategies for enabling dry or reduced fluid grinding which will work in different situations. Research approaches are to include: (1) improving the wheel design, e.g., Cubic Boron Nitride wheels with optimal grain size and spacing, enhanced thermal conductivity bonds; (2) optimizing the grinding conditions with the goal of reducing fluid usage; (3) using alternative cooling strategies, e.g. "cold air guns" based on vortex tubes, evaporative cooling, internal wheel cooling, and other approaches. These strategies are to be explored experimentally and analytically. The results of the experiments will be twofold: (a) quantify the efficacy of the various strategies in eliminating or reducing fluid usage, and (b) provide the data needed as input to, and validation of, the model. The analytical model will predict temperatures, given the measured grinding power. With this information, the model can be used in guiding the selection of wheel designs, explaining the experimental results, suggesting new experimental conditions to explore, and thus ultimately, guiding industrial process design. The final phase of the project will be the "proof of concept," in which the most favorable strategies are used and optimized for a realistic grinding application, chosen in cooperation with the industrial partners, for reducing the environmental impact of the grinding process. Grinding fluids containing metal chips pose a disposable problem and hence added manufacturing cost. If the use of grinding fluids can be reduced without adverse performance impact via alternate cooling strategies, recovery of "dry" metal chips can be facilitated. If successful, the grinding industry could be on e less contributor to the environmental problems.