Improvement of machinability of Ti and its alloys using cooling-lubrication techniques: a review and future prospect

Products made of titanium and its alloys are widely used in modern areas like the mechanical engineering, instrument making, aerospace and medical sector. High strength and low thermal conductivity are the causes of difficulties with the machinability of these alloys. It is important to find ways to increase machinability by cutting titanium alloys. One way to implement this is to apply various methods of cooling on workpieces of titanium alloys and on cutting tools during machining. In this review article, an extensive analysis of the literature on such cooling techniques as dry, conventional cooling system, minimum quantity of lubricant (MQL), minimum quantity cooling lubrication (MQCL), cryogenic lubrication, and high-pressure cooling (HPC) is performed. The following groups of Ti alloys are considered: high-strength structural and high-temperature Ti alloys, intermetallic compounds, pure titanium, as well as composites CFRPs/Ti alloys. For the processes of turning, milling, drilling, and grinding, etc. it is shown how the type of cooling affects the surface integrity include surface roughness, tool wear, tool life, temperature, cutting forces, environmental aspects, etc. The main advantages, disadvantages and prospects of different cooling methods are also shown. The problems and future trends of these methods for the machining of Ti and its alloys are indicated.