Assessment and Investigation of GH4169 Superalloy: A Frugal Innovative Attempt to Identify Dominant Lubricant Fluid under Dry and Wet Conditions

Abstract

Demand for nickel-based superalloys has increased significantly in the automotive industry because of their great potential to reduce the weight of components and improve efficiency. The objective is to improve the tribological performance and tool lifespan of the GH4169 alloy through machining, focusing specifically on the potential benefits of using cryogenic cooling. Hence, the experiments are conducted under liquid nitrogen (LN₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) conditions. The test results proved that cryogenic cooling with the inclusion of MQL helps improve tool life with better tribological characteristics. The maximum power dissipation efficiency is identified as 44%. Stable regimes such as DRX are observed at 360 °C for GH4169. The tool flank wear was reduced by 15.8%, 36.8%, and 52.6% for CO₂, MQL, and LN₂ compared to the dry alloy. Therefore, applying MQL to the GH4169 alloy significantly impacts hot deformation and wear behavior. The formation of DRX structures in the processing map is crucial to improving the mechanical properties of these cast components.