A comprehensive review on the viability of minimum quantity lubrication technology for machining difficult-to-cut alloys

In recent years, sustainability has evolved profoundly and garnered significant global attention, establishing itself as a pivotal topic in contemporary research. In line with this development, the present review thoroughly examines existing studies on machining processes employing minimum quantity lubrication (MQL). The growing imperative for sustainable practices has driven researchers to reassess alternative lubrication techniques within machining operations. Although conventional lubri-cooling agents continue to be widely used for machining engineering alloys, an expanding body of research demonstrates that the incorporation of vegetable oils, nanofluids, and nanoplatelets into MQL systems can yield superior performance compared to traditional methods. The review presents an overview of recent developments and advancements related to MQL technology and provides a rigorous analysis of the performance of vegetable oils and nanofluids as metalworking fluids. This study also demonstrates that eco-friendly MQL approaches can be a sustainable alternative to traditional flood lubrication and serves as a meaningful resource to move toward greener machining solutions.