Advances in the Application of Vegetable-Oil-Based Cutting Fluids to Sustainable Machining Operations—A Review

Scientists and tribologists are currently exploring sustainable and inexhaustible lubricants as a result of increased awareness of environmental and health-related issues. Vegetable oils are being investigated as a potential form of environmentally friendly cutting fluids due to their excellent renewability, biodegradability, and lubricating performance. This report provides an overview of different vegetable oils used as cutting fluids in the machining of engineering materials. The effects of virgin vegetable oils, emulsified vegetable-based oils, and vegetable-oil-based nano-cutting fluids on the cutting force, the surface finish of machined parts, the tool wear, and the temperature of the cutting area were surveyed critically. Compared to mineral-oil-based cutting fluids, studies have demonstrated that vegetable-oil-based cutting fluids meet cleaner manufacturing standards with good or better efficiency.