International Conferences on Nanoscience and

Nanotechnology (ICONN-2022)

PRESENTER NAME -Mahendra Singh

EMAIL ADDRESS- mahendrame.sch@nita.ac.in

TOPIC -Comparative evaluation of machinability aspects for a
sustainable alternative in the machining of Nimonic C-263, a Ni-
based superalloy

DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER

 Content of Research
❖ Introduction
❖ Literature Survey
❖ Methodology
❖ Results
❖ Conclusion
❖ Acknowledgement
•
Introduction
Although advanced processes including precisions castings, near
net shape manufacturing have developed, machining is still
considered as one of the final steps of manufacturing processes
by which desired size, shape, surface finish and other functional
features of such components are accomplished by gradual
removal of material from the workpiece in the form of chips by
shear deformations with the aid of a cutting tool.
• Nimonic C-263, a precipitate-hardenable Ni-based superalloy,
has been used extensively in submarines, ultra-supercritical
power plants, hot parts of gas turbines, and turbojet engines.
• During machining the cutting tools are subjected to extreme
level of mechanical and thermal stress leading to accelerated
tool wear.
• Machining of Nimonic C-263 has always been a challenging
task owing to their hot strength, high shear strength, low thermal
conductivity, tendency to work harden, presence of abrasive
particles, and affinity towards tool materials.
• Machinability is the degree of ease by which a work material
can be machined.
• Machinability of difficult-to-cut materials i.e. Inconel, Nimonic,
etc. can be improved by proper selection and application of
cutting tool material and geometry, level of the process
parameters, and cutting fluid.
 Introduction Contd.
To avoid the destructive effects of high cutting temperature and pressure
during hard turning, it is essential to use the proper deposition techniques
and choose the suitable coating layer material.

Tool material should possess sufficient wear resistance, thermal stability,

good combination of hardness and toughness, chemical stability and
thermal shock resistance.

Developing new ways to use cutting fluids, like high-pressure penetration in

the form of a mist, is good for the environment and saves money.

In the MQL mode of turning, cutting fluid is mixed with compressed air to
make a mist. This leads to a lower consumption rate of 10–100 ml/h.

The use of multi-layer coated carbide tools has improved the machinability
of nickel-based alloys and opened the door to high-speed machining at
cutting speeds above 50 m/min.
 Literature Survey
Authors Materials Result and Conclusion
B. Koyilada et al. Nimonic C-263 Comparative evaluation of machinability characteristics of Nimonic C-263 using CVD and PVD coated tools.
[1] The study demonstrated remarkable decrease in surface roughness (74.3%), cutting force (6.3%), temperature
(13.4%) and chip reduction coefficient (22%) with PVD coated tool consisting of alternate layers of TiN and
TiAlN over its CVD coated counterpart with TiCN/Al2O3 coating in a bilayer configuration. Superior
performance can be attributed to the hardness and wear resistance properties, thermal stability due to the
presence of TiAlN phase, and excellent toughness owing to PVD technique and multilayer architecture.
A. Thakur et al. [2] Inconel 825 The current study aims at investigating the effect of cutting speed (51, 84 and 124 m min−1) as well as tool
coating deposited using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) on machined surface roughness, tool wear
characteristics, chip morphology and chip reduction coefficient (ζ) during dry machining of Inconel 825. coated
tool demonstrated excellent resistance to crater and flank wear, and decrease in chip reduction coefficient
during dry machining of Inconel 825.
Y. Kamata et al. [3] Inconel 718 Minimal quantity lubrication (MQL) was applied to the finish-turning of a nickel-base superalloy, Inconel 718,
with three different types of coated carbide tools. Three selected coatings were TiCN/Al2O3/TiN (CVD),
TiN/AlN superlattice (PVD) and TiAlN (PVD). The longest tool life was attained by TiCN/Al2O3/TiN coating
in wet cutting, but the surface finish was not good. It was found that there is the optimum air pressure life in
finish-turning of Inconel 718 with MQL.
Bushyla et al. [4] Inconel 718 White layer formation is considered as a part of minimum array of parameters characterizing surface integrity of
the machined product. The paper is aimed on identification and characterization of white layer generated when
finish turning aged Inconel 718 with Al2O3-SiCw ceramic tools under different cutting conditions, tool wear
and coolant application. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) performed on white layer
revealed formation of nanostructured material with grain size of 50-150 nm.
Shokrani et al. [5] Difficult to cut In addition, different cutting fluids are reviewed and major health and environmental concerns about their
material usage in material cutting industries are defined. Finally, advances in reducing and/or eliminating the use of
conventional cutting fluids are reviewed and discussed. Advanced machining methods to remove or reduce the
use of cutting fluids are identified. Studies related to dry, MQL, cryogenic and chilled air machining are
reviewed.
 Methodology
Fig. shows how a circular bar is machined in a heavy-duty lathe
machine.

Cutting speed values are 54, 84, and 124m/minute. Feed rate
values are 0.08, 0.14 and 0.2mm/rev.

The tool insert designation was SNMG 12 04 8. CVD bilayer

coating consists of Al2O3/TiCN and PVD multilayer coating
consists of TiN/TiAlN.

Minimum quantity lubrication setup provides high-pressure mixed

lubricant with air in mist form. At first, it took 30 seconds to turn,
but when the condition of the tool was watched, the time went up
quickly.

Each experiment was done twice to get the right results. A tool-
work thermocouple was put in to measure the temperature of the
cutting zone. The probe was put under the end of the tool. The
headstock, tailstock, and tool holder were given the proper
insulation (Teflon tape) to stop heat from getting through. Model
9272 four-component piezoelectric dynamometer is used with a
 Contd.…
After each interval of machining duration the state of the cutting insert
was monitored with the help of stereo zoom optical microscope to
determine the tool wear mostly flank wear.
Talysurf (Model: Taylor Hobson, Surtronic 3+) was used to measure
surface roughness of each experimental run.
Wire electro-discharge machining was used to cut the Nimonic C-263
samples in half along a transverse plane so that the surface integrity could
be checked. The steps for making metallographic samples are as follows.
Before etching, the surface was ground with different grades of
waterproof polishing paper with SiC grits of 250, 400, 800, and 1000,
then polished with diamond paste to make it shine like a mirror. The
etchant comprised 2% HF that had been diluted, 8% H2O2, 40% HCl that
had been weakened, and 50% deionized water (by volume). Field
emission scanning electron microscopy (model: FEI) from Nova
NanoSEM was used to look at the prepared sample for white layer
development and changes in the microstructure of machined samples.
 Results and Discussion
Cutting Temperature
Because nimonic C-263 does not conduct heat
very well, it is essential to know the cutting Uncoated(dry)
(a) f=0.08 mm/rev
temperature. Depth of cut: 1mm CVD (dry)
(b) Vc=51m/min
600 PVD (dry) Uncoated(dry)
Figure shows how the cutting temperature Environment: Wet and dry
uncoated (Flood) 600
Depth of cut: 1mm
Environment: Wet and dry
CVD (dry)
PVD (dry)
uncoated (MQL)
changes based on the cutting parameters when 500 Uncoated(Flood)
500 Uncoated(MQL)
the coated tools are used for dry and wet

C
0
400

C
turning.

0
400
Even though a PVD-coated tool had a higher 300

Temperature,

Temperature,
300
temperature when it was dry than an uncoated
200
tool when it was wet, there was no difference 200
between the three different environments due to 100 100
good antifriction property of TiN layer. At low
0
cutting speeds, the results from the uncoated 51 84 124
0
0.08 0.14 0.2
tool were the same as those from the CVD- Cutting speed (Vc), m/min feed (f), mm/rev
coated tool. Because the uncoated tool had more
friction, it got hotter than the CVD-coated tool
when used at medium and high cutting speeds.
 Contd.…
Cutting Force Uncoated (Dry)
900 CVD (Dry)
Figure shows how the amount of force Uncoated(dry) 900 PVD (Dry)
f=0.08 mm/rev CVD(dry) Vc=51 m/min Uncoated (Flood)
needed to cut changes at different cutting 750 PVD(dry) Uncoated (MQL)
Environment: Dry and wet 750

N
speeds for coated and uncoated tools used in Depth of cut:1mm Uncoated(Flood)


600 uncoated(MQL)
dry and wet conditions. 600

450
The cutting force dropped when a PVD-coated 450

uttingforce(Fc),

Cuttingforce(Fc),
tool was used to turn Nimonic C-263. It might 300 300
have something to do with the top layer of the
TiN coating, which is antifriction and reduces 150

C
150
the amount of friction between the chip and
the tool and the rate of tool wear. 0 0
51 84 124 0.08 0.14 0.2
Cutting speed (Vc), m/min Feed (f), mm/rev
Due to BUE and the work-hardening effect,
the uncoated tool had a higher cutting force in
wet and dry conditions than the PVD-coated
tool. BUE formation and fast tool wear with
uncoated tools in dry environments at medium
and high speeds show a tendency to use much
force.
 Contd.…
Chip reduction coefficient

Figure showed that the possibility of controlling

built-up edge development by increasing cutting
4.5
speed could explain why the chip reduction 4.5 Uncoated
(b)Vc = 51 m/min
4.0

)
coefficient went down as cutting speed went up. (a)f=0.08 mm/rev Uncoated CVD
4.0 Environment: Dry and wet Environment: Dry and wet

)
CVD PVD
When Nimonic C-263 is turned, the reduction in PVD 3.5 Depth of cut:1mm Flood
3.5 Depth of cut:1mm Flood
built-up edge development might explain why the MQL 3.0
MQL
3.0
chip reduction coefficient decreases as the feed rate 2.5
increases. PVD coated tool under dry conditions 2.5
2.0

hipreductioncoefficient (
showed the lowest chip reduction coefficient around 2.0

hipreductioncoefficient(
2.0 at high cutting speed and low feed while CVD 1.5 1.5
coated tool under dry conditions around 3.0 at low 1.0 1.0
cutting speed and feed. Uncoated tools under dry 0.5 0.5
conditions showed the highest value at low cutting 0.0
0.0

C
speed and high feed. Uncoated tools under flood and C 51 84 124 0.08 0.14 0.2
MQL showed the lowest chip reduction coefficient Cutting speed (Vc), m/min Feed (f), mm/rev
at low cutting speed and high feed rate due to less
BUE formation.
 Contd.…
Surface Roughness
In dry turning, the performance of the PVD coated tool
under dry, and uncoated tools offered under MQL and flood 7
7
is better than that of the uncoated tool, followed by the CVD (a) f=0.08 mm/rev Uncoated

mm
CVD (b) Vc=51 m/min Uncoated
6 Depth of cut: 1mm

mm
coated tool. Surface roughness was reduced by up to 74.3% Environment: Wet and dry PVD 6 Depth of cut: 1mm CVD
Flood Environment: Wet and dry PVD
when a PVD-coated tool was used at a low cutting speed 5 Flood
MQL 5
instead of a CVD-coated tool. The ability of cutting fluid to MQL
4 4
reduce adhesion wear, which decreased BUE generation,
was attributed to the improved surface finish with the 3 3
conventional flood and MQL. In MQL mode, surface

a),

),
s(R

a
ss(R
2 2

s
roughness is reduced by letting the coolant into the tool-

ne

e
h

n
g

h
u

g
ero
machined surface contact. At low cutting speeds, surface

u
1

ero
1

c
rfa

c
rfa
roughness values were measured to be lower because the

u
S

u
S
0 0
cutting temperature was low and the workpiece was less 51 84 124 0.08 0.14 0.2
deformed. Surface roughness got worse as the feed rate got Cutting speed (Vc), m/min Feed (f), mm/rev
faster. This can be due to either higher feed markings or a
high cutting load at the tooltip.
 Surface and sub-surface analysis
Fig. shows FESEM images of changes to the surface and
subsurface after dry turning with a PVD-coated tool, as well as
traditional flood cooling and MQL modes of turning with an
uncoated tool.

It has been said that the white layer generates more with
uncoated tools and CVD-coated tools at a high feed rate under
dry conditions due to high plastic deformation and more heat
generation. Even when the tool is rugged, the white layer WHITE LAYER

thickness is less on a multilayer TiN/TiAlN-coated tool.

During hard turning with an uncoated tool in a dry environment,

dynamic recrystallization has been seen with lots of broken
carbide particles. Dynamic recrystallization was seen when a
CVD-coated tool was used at a high feed rate.
 Conclusion
Cutting temperature, cutting force, Chip reduction coefficient, tool wear, and surface roughness have been comparatively
examined with a different cutting tool and under different cutting environments.
The effects of variation of cutting speed under lowest feed 0.08mm/rev and variation of feed rate under lowest cutting
speed 54m/minute have also been analyzed on the aforementioned machinability aspects. The work could be done well
with a CVD-coated tool at low and medium cutting speeds in dry conditions. However, it did not work at high cutting
speeds. The uncoated tool did about the same in both flood and MQL cooling. Due to its better tribological properties, the
PVD multilayer coated tool performed just as well, if not better, in a dry cutting environment than traditional flood
cooling and minimum quantity lubrication with an uncoated tool. Even when it was dry, the TiN/TiAlN multilayer-coated
tool did a better job machining the surface of Nimonic C-263. The coated tool gave the best surface finish in dry
machining conditions compared to flood cooling and MQL environments. At high cutting parameters, the roughness of
the surface could be reduced by up to 40%. White layer and distorted grain boundary due to dynamic recrystallization
have been seen in the machined surface and sub-surface during adverse machining.
Surprisingly, tools with TiN or TiAlN coating reduced the cutting force required to cut by around 40 percent compared to
flood conditions and 16 percent compared to MQL conditions, respectively. The combination of the thermally resistant
TiAlN phase and the outstanding antifriction and anti-sticking properties that TiN possesses may be responsible for this
phenomenon.
 Reference & Link
[1] B. Koyilada, S. Gangopadhyay, and A. Thakur, “Comparative evaluation of machinability characteristics of Nimonic C-263 using CVD and PVD coated tools,” Measurement, vol.
85, pp. 152–163, May 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.measurement.2016.02.023.

[2] A. Thakur, S. Gangopadhyay, and K. P. Maity, “Effect of cutting speed and CVD multilayer coating on machinability of Inconel 825,” Surface Engineering, vol. 30, no. 7, pp. 516–
523, Jul. 2014, doi: 10.1179/1743294414Y.0000000274.

[3] Y. Kamata and T. Obikawa, “High speed MQL finish-turning of Inconel 718 with different coated tools,” Journal of Materials Processing Technology, vol. 192–193, pp. 281–286,
Oct. 2007, doi: 10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2007.04.052.

[4] V. Bushlya, J. M. Zhou, F. Lenrick, P. Avdovic, and J.-E. Ståhl, “Characterization of White Layer Generated when Turning Aged Inconel 718,” Procedia Engineering, vol. 19, pp.
60–66, 2011, doi: 10.1016/j.proeng.2011.11.080.

[5] A. Shokrani, V. Dhokia, and S. T. Newman, “Environmentally conscious machining of difficult-to-machine materials with regard to cutting fluids,” International Journal of Machine
Tools and Manufacture, vol. 57, pp. 83–101, Jun. 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.ijmachtools.2012.02.002.

[6] A. Thakur and S. Gangopadhyay, “State-of-the-art in surface integrity in machining of nickel-based super alloys,” International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture, vol.
100, pp. 25–54, Jan. 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.ijmachtools.2015.10.001.

[7] M. Singh and S. Gangopadhyay, “Effect of cutting parameter and cutting environment on surface integrity during machining of Nimonic C-263a Ni based superalloy,” in 2017
International Conference on Advances in Mechanical, Industrial, Automation and Management Systems (AMIAMS), Feb. 2017, pp. 131–138. doi: 10.1109/AMIAMS.2017.8069217.

[8] B. N. Sahoo, A. Mohanty, S. Gangopadhyay, and V. K, “An insight into microstructure and machining performance of deep cryogenically treated cemented carbide inserts,” Journal
of Manufacturing Processes, vol. 58, pp. 819–831, Oct. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.jmapro.2020.09.001.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

❖ The authors express their sincere gratitude to Mr Koyilada, an alumnus of the National Institute of Technology,
for his invaluable discussion. The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr Aruna Thakur for providing the high-
resolution figures.
THANK YOU