According to the presence and absence of water, cutting fluids are divided into two categories: pure oil-based cutting oils (ie, oil-based cutting oils, which are used without water) and water-based cutting fluids. Water-based cutting fluids are divided into emulsified oils (also known as soluble oils, water-soluble oils), semi-synthetic fluids, and fully synthetic fluids. Water-based cutting fluids are generally concentrated liquids, which need to be diluted with water to the specified concentration. When using water-based cutting fluids, maintaining a suitable concentration is an important maintenance measure. The manufacturer of the cutting fluid will specify the appropriate concentration for the cutting fluid, and the user should pay attention to detecting the concentration during use.
Why do we need to detect the concentration of cutting fluid? The concentrate of cutting fluid contains some chemical additives, such as emulsifier, rust inhibitor, bactericide, Anti-foaming Agent, etc. When using, the concentrate needs to be diluted with water to a suitable concentration. During use, these chemical components in the cutting fluid will be consumed, especially emulsifiers, rust inhibitors and fungicides. However, some components are increasing, such as alkalinity, the content of oily substances, and soluble solids. The change of these components causes the concentration of the metal cutting fluid to gradually change during use. When the concentration exceeds the specified concentration range, the metal cutting fluid cannot perform its normal performance, which in turn affects the cutting process. What effect does the concentration of cutting fluid have on 1. Too low concentration of cutting fluid: Too low concentration will easily lead to a series of adverse consequences: metal rust or metal corrosion, increased tool wear, affecting the quality of metal processing, cutting fluid breeding bacteria, corruption and odor, and cutting fluid service life shortening, etc.
2. The concentration of cutting fluid is too high: if the concentration is too high, it will not only waste the concentrate, but also cause some adverse consequences, including increased foam (affecting lubrication and cooling effects), reduced cooling and cleaning ability of the cutting fluid (may cause cutting The content of impurities in the cutting fluid increases, which can cause skin allergies of operators, stimulate the upper respiratory tract and eyes, cause non-ferrous metal corrosion, spots and other problems. How to measure cutting fluid concentration After the cutting fluid is put into use, it is best to check the concentration every day. If the concentration of the cutting fluid is abnormal, it should be adjusted in time. Generally, it is more common that the concentration decreases, and it is necessary to add the concentrate. When adding, the required concentrate should be accurately calculated. It is worth noting that when the cutting fluid breeds a large number of bacteria, the concentration of the cutting fluid will decrease. In addition, when the emulsified oil breaks and separates, the concentration of the cutting fluid will also decrease. Sometimes the concentration is too high, usually because the water evaporates or is mixed with other oils. When the concentration is high, do not directly add water to the machine.
Refractometers are commonly used to detect the concentration of cutting fluids. The advantages of refractometers are that they are portable, easy to use, low in price, and can measure the concentration at any time when needed, and are applicable to almost all water-based cutting fluids.
