CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology 59 (2010) 141–144

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CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology

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An experimental evaluation of graphite nanoplatelet based lubricant

in micro-milling
A. Marcon a, S. Melkote a,*, K. Kalaitzidou a,b, D. DeBra (1)c
a
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
b
School of Material Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
c
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Micro-milling is characterized by significant frictional interaction between the tool and workpiece,
Micromachining
leading to relatively short tool life. This paper evaluates a graphite nanoplatelet based cutting fluid
Lubrication
specifically developed to reduce friction and associated heat generation at the tool-workpiece interfaces
Graphite nanoplatelet
in micro-milling. The results of micro-slot milling experiments on H13 tool steel (50 HRc) with and
without graphite lubrication are presented. In particular, cutting forces, slot depth, and surface finish
obtained under different lubrication conditions are compared and discussed. Possible explanations for
the experimental observations are given.
ß 2010 CIRP.

1. Introduction macro-scale machining [6]. In particular, its use in grinding is

Micro-milling is used for the production of micro-scale features
in a wide range of materials [1,2]. It is characterized by high friction
due to rubbing at the workpiece-tool interfaces, leading to high-
localized temperatures and a relatively short tool life. Dimensional
accuracy and tooling costs are thus negatively impacted. Conse-
quently, there is a need for cooling and/or lubrication techniques
capable of reducing friction in micro-milling and thereby enhancing
tool life.
Two approaches to solving this problem consist of: (a)
development of wear resistant coatings, and (b) cooling and/or
lubrication. The first approach has been pursued with some
success [3]. Recent work by Jun et al. [4] shows that cooling/
lubricating the tool using Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL)
can enhance tool life in micro-milling. However, it is unclear if the
benefits observed are derived from faster heat dissipation due to
cooling or reduction in the amount of heat generated due to
lubrication at the tool-workpiece interfaces.
In micro-milling, the tool-workpiece contact conditions are
rather extreme due to the small area of contact, leading to
significant tool-workpiece rubbing and localized heating. In
addition, there are disproportionate scaling effects associated
with material strength and specific cutting energy, and therefore
heat generation, as the feature size is reduced [5]. These aspects
make it important to look for new ways to minimize the frictional
interaction in micro-milling.
The present study evaluates the performance of a solid
lubricant, namely graphite nanoplatelets, based cutting fluid in
micro-milling. Graphite is known for its effectiveness in lubricat-
ing extreme contact conditions, and has been successfully used in
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: smelkote@gatech.edu (S. Melkote).
known to yield lower forces and specific energies than traditional
water-based emulsions [7]. Also, the use of small quantities of a
nontoxic solid lubricant based fluid enables near-dry machining,
which minimizes environmental concerns associated with mineral
oils and other synthetic fluids. Finally, although oils and emulsions
can lower friction, evidence suggests that the ‘‘lubrication pocket
effect’’ at the micro-scale causes liquids to be squeezed out from
the interfaces leading to higher friction coefficients [5]. Conse-
quently, this initial investigation is limited to the study of graphite
nanoplatelets based cutting fluid.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Lubricant
The lubricant used in this study consists of 0.1–0.5 wt% solution
of graphite nanoplatelets (xGnPTM, XG Sciences, East Lansing, MI)
dispersed in distilled water. These nanoplatelets are made from
synthetic, acid-intercalated graphite using a microwave exfolia-
tion method [7].
Two different types of graphite (xGnP-1 and xGnP-15) have
been chosen. To minimize agglomeration of the lubricant and
possible interference with the cutting process, the smallest
available platelets are dispersed in water using a surfactant. Both
platelet types have an average thickness of 5–10 nm, with average
diameters of 1 mm and 15 mm, respectively. Each platelet consists
of 10–15 graphene sheets held together by Van der Waals bonds
that permit them to slip easily relative to each other under shear
loads. The material is highly crystalline, has a large surface area
(60 m2/g) and a high thermal conductivity, is nontoxic and costs
10–20 $/kg, depending on the platelet size.
The surfactant used in the cutting fluid is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
(SLS). Different SLS to graphite mixing ratios were tested and a 3:1

0007-8506/$ – see front matter ß 2010 CIRP.

doi:10.1016/j.cirp.2010.03.083
142 A. Marcon et al. / CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology 59 (2010) 141–144

tests without cutting fluid, there is a possibility that localized

Fig. 1. Images of 2 wt% graphite nanoplatelets in distilled water after sonication (a)
without surfactant (b) with 3:1 surfactant-graphite ratio.
temperature rise can cause tool thermal expansion, which can lead
to a higher slot depth. However, the temperature rise in micro-
milling of hardened steel with no lubrication is estimated to be
small (about 150–200 8C based on data for 35 HRc steel given in
[9]). For this temperature rise, the tool thermal expansion is
2 mm. Therefore, any change in slot depth from the start to end of
cut is attributed primarily to tool wear.
3. Results and discussion

3.1. Effect of graphite size

ratio was found to perform best. The mixture was sonicated
(Misonic Sonicator 4000, 15% amplitude) for 30 min to uniformly
disperse the graphite. Fig. 1 shows optical microscope images of
2 wt% graphite nanoplatelets dispersed in distilled water after
sonication with and without the surfactant. It is clear that the
surfactant ensures uniform and stable dispersion of the nanoplate-
lets in water.
2.2. Micro-milling experiments
Choice of the two graphite nanoplatelet sizes (1 and 15 mm)
was based on their differing penetration/deformation behaviors.
Specifically, the smaller graphite size is able to better penetrate the
cutting zone while the 15 mm size is more flexible and can bend
and wrap around the cutting edges, thereby lowering friction
between the tool and workpiece during cutting.
Figs. 3–5 show the effect of graphite size on the three force
components shown in Fig. 2(b). Peak forces, averaged over every

Micro slot milling tests were performed to study the effects of

graphite size, concentration, and flow rate on the cutting forces,
slot depth, tool condition, and machined surface. The workpiece
material was H13 steel (50 HRc) with roughness Ra  0.3 mm. The
tools were 508 mm diameter, 2 flute, uncoated micro-grain carbide
flat end mills. The spindle speed used in all the experiments was
60,000 rpm, giving a 2 kHz tooth passing frequency. Each test
condition consisted of 2–6 slots of 25 mm length per slot and a
nominal axial depth of cut of 30 mm.
The lubricant was applied through a 0.8 mm diameter nozzle
placed 2 mm behind the tool as shown in Fig. 2(a). Two lubricant
flow rates (15 and 100 ml/min) were used in the tests. The cutting
forces were measured with a 3-component piezoelectric force
dynamometer (Kistler Model 9256C2). Since the reported natural Fig. 3. Averaged maximum tangential force Ft under different lubrication
frequencies of the dynamometer (4 kHz) are well above the tooth conditions: dry, 1 mm and 15 mm graphite sizes (0.5 wt%, 15 ml/min flow rate);
passing frequency (2 kHz), its bandwidth is considered to be 1 mm/flute feed.
adequate, and therefore techniques for filtering out the dynam-
ometer dynamics [8] are not required. Furthermore, since the
cutting speed and feed rate were kept constant in all the tests, the
effect of dynamometer response on the measured signal, if any, is
expected to be constant. The slot depth was measured by a white
light interferometer (ZYGO New View 200).
To ensure a consistent axial depth of cut, the effect of stage
kinematic errors on part displacement in the depth of cut direction
was measured using a laser sensor with 0.1 mm resolution
(Keyence LGK37) and compensated for in the cutting experiments
through modification of the G-code. Errors in the depth of cut due
to spindle thermal expansion were minimized by running the
spindle for 30 min prior to cutting. The effect of stage compliance
on the depth of cut due to cutting loads was found to be small
(<2 mm for a normal force of 10 N). It is assumed that the influence Fig. 4. Averaged maximum feed force Ff under different lubrication conditions: dry,
of tool thermal expansion (from the heat generated during cutting) 1 mm and 15 mm graphite sizes (0.5 wt%, 15 ml/min flow rate); 1 mm/flute feed.
on the depth of cut is negligible in the tests with graphite lubricant
since the tool is locally immersed in the lubricant during cutting. In

Fig. 2. (a) Fluid application method and (b) maximum force components used for Fig. 5. Averaged maximum axial force Fz under different lubrication conditions: dry,
data analysis. 1 mm and 15 mm graphite sizes (0.5 wt%, 15 ml/min flow rate); 1 mm/flute feed.
 A. Marcon et al. / CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology 59 (2010) 141–144 143

Fig. 6. Initial and final slot depths: dry, 1 mm and 15 mm graphite platelets; other
conditions are same as in Figs. 3–5.

100 tool revolutions, are chosen instead of average forces because

Fig. 8. Effect of flow rate on Ft and Ff (15 mm graphite, 0.5 wt%, 1 mm/flute feed).
they tend to better capture the changes due to lubrication. Also, the
force data for the first slot (0–25 mm) tends to vary considerably
due to initial run-in wear of the tool and is not shown. All force
comparisons shown are from the second slot onwards.
It can be seen in the figures that the presence of graphite causes
a significant reduction in the tangential force. This implies a lower
specific cutting energy in the presence of the solid lubricant. The
differences in the feed force are not that significant (Fig. 4).
However, both graphite sizes cause an increase in the axial force
compared to the dry case (Fig. 5).
The observed reduction in Ft is attributed to the enhanced
lubricity provided by the graphite platelets. The slightly better
performance of the 15 mm graphite size is due to its ability to
deform and conform to the cutting edge more easily. In contrast,
the higher axial force is caused by entrapment of graphite particles
underneath the tool producing additional interference.
The groove depths at the start and end of each slot are compared Fig. 9. Effect of graphite concentration on Ft (15 mm graphite size, 15 ml/min flow
in Fig. 6. The initial slot depth for the dry and 15 mm graphite size rate, 1 mm/flute feed).
cases is seen to be close to the nominal depth of cut of 30 mm, while
the depth at the end of cut is 1.2–1.3 mm lower. In contrast, in the
1 mm case, the initial slot depth is almost half the programmed
depth while the depth at the end of cut is 2.2 mm lower, which is
almost twice that of the other two cases. The significant reduction
in the initial slot depth for the 1 mm case is attributed to high tool
wear, as seen in the end views of the tool shown in Fig. 7 for the
three cases. Consequently, the remaining test results reported in
the paper are restricted to the 15 mm platelet size.

3.2. Effect of lubricant flow rate

Fig. 8 shows the effect of lubricant flow rate on the averaged

peak tangential and feed forces. It can be seen that the forces are
lower at the lower flow rate. The axial force Fz is not shown since no
significant difference was observed between the two flow rates Fig. 10. Change in slot depth with solid lubricant concentration: dry case, 0.5 wt%
and 0.1 wt% (15 mm graphite size, 15 ml/min flow rate, 1 mm/flute feed).
(Fz  4.5 N). A possible explanation for these observations is that

Fig. 7. (a) dry, (b) 1 mm graphite, (c) 15 mm graphite; other conditions are same as in Figs. 3–5.
144 A. Marcon et al. / CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology 59 (2010) 141–144
Fig. 11. Machined surface under different conditions: (a) dry case (Ra = 0.67 mm), and (b) 15 mm graphite, 0.5 wt%, 15 ml/min flow rate, 1 mm/flute feed, Ra = 0.56 mm.
the lower kinetic energy associated with a reduced flow rate
prevents the graphite particles from being expelled from the
cutting zone hence causing them to remain in the cutting zone
longer and providing the enhanced lubricity evident in the reduced
tangential and feed forces.
Given this observation, the remaining test results discussed in
the paper are confined to the 15 ml/min flow rate case.
3.3. Effect of graphite concentration
As reported in [10], graphite concentration can play a key role in
the lubrication process. The effect of graphite concentration on the
tangential forces is shown in Fig. 9, which reveals an appreciable
reduction in the tangential force for both concentrations. This shows
the ability of small quantity of graphite to bring about a large
reduction in the cutting force. The feed and axial force trends (not
shown for space reasons) are relatively unchanged from what that
shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Overall, the 0.1 wt% graphite concentration
yields lowest tangential force over the entire length of cut. Future
work will look at optimizing the graphite concentration further.
Fig. 10 shows that the dry case yields the best slot depth results,
exhibiting smaller depth differences between the slot beginning
and end, and also more consistent depths over all the slots. In
contrast, the use of graphite yields inferior results. The change in
slot depth, which is a measure of tool wear, is greatest for the
graphite lubrication cases, particularly in slots 1 and 2.
In general, the 15 mm graphite appears to negatively impact the
slot depth even though it has a beneficial effect on the tangential
force. Further work is needed to understand the underlying causes
of these observations.
3.4. Effect of graphite on the machined surface
Fig. 11 shows two representative surfaces obtained under dry
and lubricated conditions after a 50 mm length of cut. For the dry
cutting case, even though the tool has started to wear (as seen from
the burnished region close to the slot edges), the tool feed marks
are clearly visible in the slot center.
In contrast, the tool feed marks are not as clearly visible for the
graphite case. This is due to significant wear of the tool cutting edges
(seen in Fig. 7c). Note also that the slot produced with graphite
lubrication has a width that is 19 mm less than the dry case. The
large amount of graphite particles stuck to the slot surface indicates
entrapment of graphite between the tool and workpiece and
therefore an increased burnishing action as opposed to cutting.
4. Conclusions
The paper presents the effects of a graphite nanoplatelet based
lubricant in micro-milling of hardened steel. The results suggest
that although, as hypothesized, the lubricant yields appreciable
reductions in the tangential force, it has a negative impact on the
dimensional accuracy of the milled slots. This is believed to be due
to entrapment of graphite platelets below the tool leading to faster
tool wear. The larger graphite platelet size of 15 mm yields slightly
superior force results than the 1 mm size. The forces also tend to be
lower for smaller graphite concentrations and reduced lubricant
flow rate. However, the slot depth results are not favorable with
graphite lubrication. The graphite also causes burnishing of the
machined surface.
Future work will clarify the reasons for the inferior slot depth
results, and evaluate the performance of smaller graphite sizes and
other solid lubricants such as nanoparticulate molybdenum
disulfide [11] mixed in water, mineral oils and water-based
emulsions.
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