Emulsions Versus Neat Oils in the Cold Rolling of Carbon Steel Strips

Low carbon steel strips were cold rolled using various lubricants. The objectives were twofold. The first concerned whether the use of an emulsion would lower the loads on the mill as much as a neat oil would. The second was to study the effect of the lubricant on the surface roughness of the rolled product. The strips were rolled dry first. This was followed by using water only as the lubricant. Four other lubricants were then employed: SAE 10 and SAE 60 automotive oils, the SAE 10 base oil with 5 percent oleic acid added and the SAE 10 base oil, emulsified, using water and polyoxyethylene lauryl alcohol as the emulsifier, 4 percent by volume. The roll loads were lowered when any of the lubricants, including water, neat oils and the emulsion, was introduced in the contact zone. However, effect of the viscosity on the loads was not found to be significant. The roughness of the rolled strip was found to be reduced as the lubricant viscosity was reduced. [S0742-4787(00)01203-0]