Fine and Ultrafine Particle Characterization and Modeling in High-Speed Milling of 6061-T6 Aluminum Alloy

In this study, an experimental investigation was carried out on fine and ultrafine metallic dust emission during high-speed milling of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy in wet and dry conditions. Measurements of dust emission were conducted using a scanning mobility particle sizer spectrometer and an aerodynamic particle sizer spectrometer. These instruments were used to characterize particles in the micrometer and the nanometer size ranges. It was confirmed that the machining process produces nanoparticles as small as 10 nm and that the characteristics of the generated nanoparticles are not significantly influenced by the cutting conditions. The cutting forces and chip compression ratio were measured to validate the proposed dust generation model based on an energy approach. Good agreement was observed between the model and the experimental measurements for the investigated conditions. It was demonstrated that the majority of generated dust is caused by deformations in the primary shear zone. In addition, the percentage of generated dust is significantly influenced by deformation conditions in the chip formation zone. It was found that high cutting speeds could reduce the percentage of the generated particles during the milling process.