Role of biodegradable dielectrics toward tool wear and dimensional accuracy in Cu-mixed die sinking EDM of Inconel 600 for sustainable machining

NetZero advancements for the manufacturing industry are aspiring for precision machining of difficult-to-cut materials with a high degree of accuracy, particularly for Ni-based super alloys while meeting climate protocols. The applications and properties of the foregoing materials warrant the usage of the electric discharge machining (EDM) technique. However, given the rising scarcity of resources, there is a compelling need to make this process sustainable. The standard dielectric (kerosene) employed in EDM is hazardous to one's health and fails in terms of long-term productivity. As a result, an effort has been made in this study to evaluate the potential of biodegradable dielectrics, at different copper powder concentrations for sustainable machining of Inconel 600. This investigation evaluated three powder concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5) g/100 ml for each dielectric. Output responses including electrode wear rate and overcut explicitly aid in ensuring long-term productivity. For example, EWR represents economic assessment, while overcut determines dimensional accuracy. The full factorial design method was used in the experiments, followed by a full statistical examination encompassing, parametric effects and interactions, and signal-to-noise ratio. The findings of this study revealed a decreased EWR (2.69 mm³/min), as well as a minimal overcut (0.33 mm). In case of EWR, about 39% variation in the magnitude has been noted when dielectrics have been varied, whereas approximately 30.9% variation in EWR was observed against the change in the powder concentration. For overcut, the influence of the dielectric on the response magnitude has been further improved as it produces about 61% variation in the OC value. However, the impact of the change in powder concentration for overcut is 8%. It was found that Amla oil with a powder concentration of 0.5 g/100 ml produced the least tool wear, but Sunflower oil at minimum powder concentration (0.5 g/100 ml) produced the minimum overcut. As a result, the combined effect of all of the aforesaid strategies results in more sustainable and dimensionally accurate machining.