https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-026-02335-6
Regular Article
Enhanced heat transfer and lubrication behavior of graphene enriched coconut oil-based nanofluids in the machining of Inconel 718 superalloy
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, 382007, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
2
Tribology and Machine Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, PDPM Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing, 482005, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India
3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, SR University, 506371, Warangal, Telangana, India
a
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Received:
15
December
2025
Accepted:
20
April
2026
Published online:
29
April
2026
Abstract
The inclusion of nano-sized particles in the base fluid creates a nanofluid that possesses excellent thermophysical and rheological properties. This makes them highly suitable for heat transfer applications. However, vegetable oil, such as coconut oil, lacks thermal and oxidative stability at high temperatures. To overcome this limitation, nano-additives are used to enhance its heat transfer and lubricating capabilities. The thermophysical characteristics of coconut oil enriched with graphite nanoparticles were investigated, focusing on the significant impact of enhanced heat transfer and lubrication during metal cutting application. Various weight percentages (0.25–1%) of GO were dispersed in coconut oil to analyze wettability, dynamic viscosity, and thermal conductivity. Subsequently, turning experiments were conducted using different cooling methods: dry, flood, minimum quantity lubrication with pure coconut oil (CO-MQL), and nanofluid-based minimum quantity lubrication (NF-MQL). The study findings showed that adding nanoparticles to coconut oil significantly reduced the contact angle by 27%, indicating better wettability. Moreover, the addition of nanoparticles significantly enhanced the dynamic viscosity and thermal conductivity of the base fluid signifying enhanced heat transfer abilities of nanofluids. Furthermore, the application of NF-MQL in metal cutting operation demonstrated substantial reductions in tool wear, cutting temperature and surface waviness compared to dry cutting, flood cooling and CO-MQL cutting conditions showed effective heat transfer and lubricating characteristics of nanofluids.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2026
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
