Thermoelectric cooling for machining of In 825 superalloy—an experimental study

The manufacturing industry is rapidly moving towards sustainability, emphasizing the need for an innovative cooling system and medium that does not lead to undesirable consequences during disposal. Cooling of the tool-work interface is an essential process in machining which is traditionally accomplished using cutting fluids with various application strategies. Over the years, several techniques have been proposed and utilized to serve the purposes such as cooling the aforesaid region while washing away the chips produced through machining. However, several undesirable consequences to human and environmental wellness due to the use of cutting fluids have been reported in a number of research articles. Efforts to address this chronic issue have yielded seemingly viable solutions, such as minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) and cold air cooling (CAC), which have apparently produced surface characteristics in workpieces close to those achieved with conventional tool cooling techniques. In the light of above, the current study utilizes a thermoelectric cooling system to evaluate the after-machining effects in the absence of cutting fluids during the machining of Inconel 825 superalloy, thereby demonstrating its feasibility and potential in further research.