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Supporting our towns, cities, and transportation infrastructure, most large structures we see today are supported by steel frames. That’s because steel is non-combustible and is extremely durable and strong, making it a safe and reliable choice for buildings and infrastructure.

• Working with Steel

Steel is typically a metal that is very machinable, but as this is such a large metal group, there is some variation in machinability. Machining steel, as with all metals, is about striking the perfect balance between machining the workpiece as quickly as possible without generating too much heat and stress to the machine tool and part. With steel, a good indication that that balance has been achieved is when the steel chips are blue in color, indicating that not too much heat was generated but enough that the highest potential working speed was met.

• Metalworking Fluid

Typically when machining steel, cooling is more important than lubrication, making a synthetic or semisynthetic the right choice of coolant depending on the hardness of the metal being worked.

To find exactly the right metalworking fluid for your steel operation, contact Master Fluid Solutions here.

Stainless steel is extremely resistant to corrosion and strong acids and is used to create implements that need to be free of tarnishes such as medical instruments and kitchen utensils. There are five main groups of stainless steel, each with its own unique crystalline structure: austenitic, ferritic, martensitic, precipitation hardenable, and duplex. The different types within each group represent a unique composition of iron, carbon, chromium, and other materials. Esters, sulfur, and chlorine are great lubricity additives for stainless steel, especially when the metal is especially gummy.

• Austenitic

Austenitic stainless steels are the most common group around the world, representing two-thirds of all stainless steel. The most commonly machined types are S304 and S316. Austenitic stainless steels vary from very gummy to easily machined. When it comes to choosing an MWF, we typically recommend one of our high-oil MicroSol microemulsions to accommodate austenitic stainless steel’s wide range of machinability.

• Ferritic

The second most common stainless steels are ferritic stainless steels, with the most commonly used types being S409 and S430. Ferritic stainless steels have a similar machining behavior to a steel alloy. When machining this metal, cooling is the primary concern. For that reason, we typically recommend a synthetic or low-oil semisynthetic coolant.

• Martensitic

Less common and less corrosion-resistant than the austenitic and ferritic stainless steels, martensitic stainless steels are extremely hard, make very fine chips, and are abrasive. The most commonly used types of martensitic stainless steel are S416 and S420. When choosing an MWF for this type of metal, we typically recommend a coolant with a higher oil content, such as one of our emulsions or MicroSol microemulsions.

• Precipitation Hardenable

Primarily used in aerospace and energy markets, precipitation hardenable stainless steels (or age-hardening steels) are extremely strong due to their crystalline structures. The most common types of precipitation hardenable stainless steels are 15-5PH and 17-4PH. This type of metal varies considerably from gummy to hard depending on the treatment. When machining precipitation hardenable stainless steels, we typically recommend using a MicroSol microemulsion with a high oil content.

• Duplex

The rarest group of stainless steels are duplex stainless steels, the most common type being 2205. This group of stainless steel combines the microstructures of austenitic and ferritic stainless steel at a ratio of around 50:50. This combination of the two crystalline structures gives it twice as much yield strength as austenitic stainless steel. However, this metal group is extremely difficult to machine. When choosing a MWF for duplex stainless steels, we typically recommend a coolant with a higher oil content, such as one of our emulsions or MicroSol microemulsions.

To find exactly the right metalworking fluid for your stainless steel operation, contact Master Fluid Solutions here.

Cast iron is an iron alloy composed of around 96% iron, around 2% carbon, and 2% silicon as well as small amounts of other materials. Melted in a cupola furnace, the metal is poured into molds where it solidifies. Though not as tough as steel, cast iron is a rigid metal, is highly resistant to deformation, and is very absorbent to vibrations, making it a great material for infrastructure.

• Working with Cast Iron

As a rigid metal, cast iron is not an easy metal to machine, quickly becoming hard, brittle, and unmalleable. When machining iron, typically very fine chips are produced that are dust-like in quality making the machining of this metal a rather messy process.

• Metalworking Fluid

Cooling is key when it comes to choosing an MWF for cast iron machining operations. Lubrication is of far less importance due to the graphite contained in cast iron that makes this metal self-lubricating. Another important factor to consider when choosing a lubricant is finding one that doesn’t smut from graphite accumulation. We typically recommend a semisynthetic or low-oil synthetic when machining cast iron.

To find exactly the right metalworking fluid for your cast iron operation, contact Master Fluid Solutions here.

Nonferrous metals are metals that contain no iron, making them completely resistant to rust. These metals include aluminum, yellow metals, and magnesium-based alloys.

• Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

Used in household appliances, vehicles, and constructions, aluminum and aluminum alloys are typically gummy and need a lot of lubrication. When choosing an MWF, aluminums are best machined with straight oils, high-oil MicroSol microemulsions, and emulsions. Esters and chlorine are great lubricity additives for aluminum and when choosing a metalworking fluid for an aluminum alloy, be sure to choose a coolant that is compatible with the grading to avoid staining.

• Yellow Metals

Yellow metals, including brass, bronze, copper, and copper-tin, are typically gummy and are difficult to machine. When machining copper and copper alloys, copper can accumulate in the metalworking fluid causing oil-based MWFs to split prematurely. In synthetics, this manifests itself as green-blue residue that will plate out and accumulate over your machine tool. When machining leaded yellow metals, avoid using chlorinated products as this can result in rock-hard residue. For occasional machining, MicroSol microemulsions and semisynthetics typically work well with yellow metals. If yellow metals are your primary metal, contact Master Fluid Solutions to receive specific recommendations.

• Magnesium-based Alloys

Magnesium-based alloys are easy to machine. However, there are many hazards associated with machining this metal. Before applying any type of metalworking fluid to this flammable metal, contact Master Fluid Solutions.

To find exactly the right metalworking fluid for your nonferrous metal operation, contact Master Fluid Solutions here.

With high corrosion and creep resistance, superalloys, also known as high-performance alloys, are stronger and more durable than standard alloys, and are able to operate at a high fraction of their melting point. Being heat resistant makes them perfect for the aerospace and energy industries.

• Superalloys

Two well-known brands of superalloy are Inconel^® and Incoloy^®, both of which are used primarily in the aerospace, automotive, energy, and naval industries. Superalloys are typically difficult to work with as they generate heat, are abrasive, get harder while being worked on, and can be sticky, creating built-up edge on the workpiece. Higher lubricity is typically recommended for super alloys including MicroSol microemulsions and emulsions. A chlorine additive can also be beneficial when machining superalloys, though chlorine additives are typically not permitted in aerospace manufacturing.

• Titanium Alloys

With outstanding corrosion resistance, titanium alloys are used both in air and sea transportation industries as well as in the medical industry. Titanium is strong, light, and extremely heat resistant and is the metal of choice in air- and space crafts as well as missiles. This group of non-magnetic metal is also used for hip replacements and other medical and dental prosthetics and implants due to its durability. Not only is titanium a very expensive metal and therefore requires utmost care when machining, it is also very difficult to machine, losing only around 25% heat in the chips. The rest of the heat stays in the workpiece and the machine tool creating a very unique challenge when machining titanium - it needs a metalworking fluid that is both extremely lubricative and extremely cooling. To strike this perfect balance between lubricating and cooling, we recommend a MicroSol microemulsion.

To find exactly the right metalworking fluid for your superalloy operation, contact Master Fluid Solutions here.

Hardened steel is carbon steel that has been treated through a process called quenching which involves heating and cooling carbon steel to create an extremely hard, robust metal that is almost impossible to break. Used for power tools and machine manufacturing, medical instruments, and automotive parts, hardened steel can be put under huge amounts of continuous physical stress and abrasion and still stay strong.

• Working with Hardened Steel

As a hardened metal, machining hardened steel can be difficult, generating a large amount of heat and damaging the cutting edge.

• Metalworking Fluid

To find exactly the right metalworking fluid for your hardened steel operation, contact Master Fluid Solutions here.