Investigation of Biodiesel Dielectric in Sustainable Electrical Discharge Machining

Abstract

Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM), though it is a well-established machining process, but more importantly it can be described as a green and sustainable machining process. Current EDM processes uses hydrocarbon or synthetic based dielectric fluids. These fluids emit harmful vapours when it breaks down, raising concerns for machine operators and for the environment. Biodiesel (BD) have similar properties as conventional dielectric and it can be used in place of conventional dielectric fluids.

This research aims to study the effects of biodiesel (BD) in EDM process, especially in micromachining. Experiments are carried out in both low and high energy settings, on Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG) and titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) using 200 μm diameter electrodes. The BD used in the experiments are canola BD and sunflower BD and the synthetic (conventional) dielectric is used as a benchmark. The material removal rate (MRR) and tool wear ratio (TWR) were measured and tabulated.

Based on the experimental evidence, both canola and sunflower BD were able to perform better than conventional dielectric to draw an indication that BD have the potential to replace conventional dielectric so as to ensure a more sustainable machining process in the future.