Abstract
To accomplish the successful minimal quantity lubrication (MQL) machining, a very small amount of a cutting fluid plays an important role. The cutting fluids should have not only the high cutting performance, but also the preferable secondary characteristics, such as safety properties, biodegradability, and oxidation stability. In this study, therefore, synthetic esters are proposed as suitable fluids for MQL machining. In near-dry machining, one should consider the effect of the lubricating ability of each ester itself on the cutting performance. However, there has so far been little investigation on the tribological behavior of lubricants for near-dry application in connection with their cutting performance. To understand the tribological characteristics of such lubricants, fundamental examinations are made with the tapping test. The synthetic ester demonstrates the satisfactory performance of near-dry machining.
