Use of liquid crystals for metal machining

Abstract

The paper presents results of measurements of surface roughness of holes reamed in steel and cast iron workpieces, when mineral industrial oil with and without liquid crystals additives was used as coolant for reaming. Four types of twisted nematic liquid crystals (cholesterol esters) were tested: cholesterol valerate, cholesterol caproate, cholesterol stearate and cholesterol oleate. The concentration of the liquid crystals in oil was 0.5% by oil volume. The dependence of average roughness R-a of the reamed surface on coolant composition was established.