<p style="text-align: justify">The machining of advanced materials results in several problems that are needed to be addressed in the scenario of the manufacturing industry. In this prominent industry, machining influences the surface integrity and lifespan of the components that directly affect the economy of the process. Nowadays, sustainability is a major aspect in the direction of Green Manufacturing for the industries. In order to obtain high precision in dimensions and better surface quality of the product, the grinding process has been among the most sought-after methods. During the grinding of advanced materials, several problems such as the generation of high temperatures, more energy consumption, excessive utilization of cutting fluids, and emissions of various harmful gases have been encountered, resulting in negative impacts on the environment. In order to mitigate such problems, this study focuses on the sustainability of the grinding process amalgamated with the introduction of ultrasonic vibration. The effect of ultrasonic vibration has been incorporated in grinding along with optimal machining parameters. Ionic Liquid (ILs) with vegetable oil has been used as a cutting fluid, which is categorized as a green solvent. Ionic Liquids (ILs) have been proved as a favorable sustainable alternative additive in the base oil to obtain the desired cutting fluid performance. A comparative study has been conducted for the various grinding strategies, and their negative environmental impact has been carried out by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Initially, Conventional Grinding (CG) and Ultrasonic Assisted Grinding (UAG) have been attempted. In the subsequent attempt, Ultrasonically Atomized fluid has been used for the CG and UAG processes. The SimaPro LCA software has been used to quantify the environmental impact associated with these processes. The input for the LCA inventory are consisted of material consumption, energy consumption, cutting fluid consumption, and use of transportation. In this study, the ReCiPe 2016 midpoint and endpoint module has been used for carrying out the impact assessment. The significant indicators are global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, ionizing radiation, terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, freshwater ecotoxicity, human toxicity, and water consumption. The results of the LCA impact assessment show that ultrasonic-assisted grinding with the ultrasonically atomized cutting fluid generated the most negligible adverse effects on the environment as compared to other mentioned counterparts. The cutting fluid and power consumption has been found significant contributor for the environment. The results obtained from LCA analysis can be utilized as a basis for a sustainability assessment framework in the grinding of advanced materials.</p>

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Various Grinding Strategies for Nickel Base Superalloys

Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IMECE/IMECE2021/volume/85543

ASME 2021 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE2021)

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