An investigation on surface grinding using graphite as lubricant

Grinding requires high specific energy and the consequent development of high temperature impairs workpiece quality by inducing tensile residual stress, burn, micro cracks etc. Control of grinding temperature is achieved by providing effective cooling and lubrication. Conventional flood cooling is often ineffective due to the relative inaccessibility of the fluid to the actual grinding zone, film boiling etc. Further these fluids are also a source of health hazards. Minimization and possibly the elimination of fluid coolants by substituting their functions by some other means is of current research interest. This paper deals with an investigation on using graphite as a lubricating medium to reduce the heat generated at the grinding zone. An experimental set-up has been developed for this and a detailed comparison has been done with dry and coolant flooded grinding in terms of forces, specific energy, temperature and surface finish. Results show that grinding force, energy and temperature are reduced and resultant surface finish depends on workpiece material.