Effect of cryogenic cooling and sol–gel alumina wheel on grinding performance of AISI 316 stainless steel

The ineffectiveness of conventional coolants and their adverse impact on the environment have led to the use of cryogenic LN2 (liquid nitrogen) as an alternative coolant, which is effective in reducing the grinding zone temperature, and providing better lubrication, in addition to being a clean technology. The sol–gel (SG) alumina grinding wheel, with a self-sharpening characteristic, is used for the experiment. The grinding experiments were conducted on AISI 316 stainless steel under the three environments of dry, wet and cryogenic cooling. The Cryogenic coolant delivers a reduction of about 32% in the grinding forces, 30–49% improvement in the surface roughness, and 45–49% lesser temperature even at higher material removal rates. Cryogenic cooling produces fewer surface defects compared to dry and wet cooling. The effects of the LN2 delivery pressure on the machining zone, in terms of the grinding forces, surface roughness, and grinding zone temperature, were also studied.