Cutting Oil

In metal cutting operation ninety-seven percent of the energy consumed is converted into heat. If the right kind of cooling doesn’t take place at the cutting edge, the heat can damage both the cutting tool and the work piece as an overheated tool loses its hardness, which shortens the tool life, and an overheated work piece can lose its dimensional integrity. To cool the cutting tool and work piece at the cutting zone continuously; metal working lubricants, coolants and fluids are used. These fluids improve the tool life by reducing wear, increase lubrication, reduce work piece thermal deformation, provide excellent surface finish and flush away chips from the cutting zone.  These products are also used to prevent rust and corrosion. In order to realize the lubricating and cooling process water miscible and non water miscible metal working fluids have been formulated.

Straight cutting oil
Straight cutting oils are non-emulsifiable and are used in machining operations in an undiluted form i.e. as supplied by the manufacturer. These are oil-based materials, which generally contain extreme pressure (EP) additives such as chlorine and sulphur added at various levels to provide increased tool life and improved surface finish.

Straight cutting oils are non-emulsifiable and are used in machining operations in an undiluted form i.e. as supplied by the manufacturer. These are oil-based materials, which generally contain extreme pressure (EP) additives such as chlorine and sulphur added at various levels to provide increased tool life and improved surface finish.

Performance benefits:

• Good surface finish
• Built in protection against bacterial growth
• Excellent emulsion stability
• Good heat removal properties
• Water soluble cutting oil

Water Soluble Cutting Oil

These cutting oils are more commonly referred to as soluble oils. This however, is a misnomer because they are not really soluble in water but form an emulsion when added to water. These emulsifiable oils are mineral oil based concentrates, which contain emulsifiers that allow them to mix with water and form a milky white emulsion. They also contain additives to improve their lubricating properties, rust and corrosion inhibitors and a biocide to help control foul smell.

There are several advantages of water emulsifiable oils, viz.: good cooling, low viscosity and thus adequate wetting abilities, non-flammable and nontoxic, easy to clean from small chips and wear particles using standard filters, relatively low initial and disposal cost. These oils are the most popular cutting fluids in use today, because they combine the lubricating qualities of oil with the cooling properties of water and can be used in a wide range of both machining and grinding operations.