The use of cutting fluids is well recognized for several years. To cater the needs of state- of- art machining processes, several fluid formulations are available in the present day market. Of such available fluids, water-soluble fluids are dominant. Though, the need of cutting fluids is explored, the functionality of different ingredients of the fluid is not much investigated. The present work is an attempt to study the role of emulsifier on the properties and performance of cutting fluid. In the present part of the paper, estimation of basic properties and microbial contamination of the fluids with varying emulsifier contents is dealt.
metal cutting; cutting fluids; emulsifier; microbial contamination
