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<p>Lubricants for the cold rolling process play a key role in improving strip surface quality, increasing the efficiency of the cold rolling process, reducing energy consumption, extending rolls’ life and optimizing the cost-effectiveness. Due to the high environmental impact of mineral-based lubricants and the rising price of petroleum oil, the use of biodegradable solutions has become a priority. The present work focuses the attention on the lubricating performance and the environmental impact of two innovative eco-friendly lubricants produced using raw materials from natural origin. Laboratory tests on the Falex tribometer (fresh emulsion with 2% oil content) demonstrated a superior lubricity of the innovative formulations in terms of maximum load (increased by 10%) and coefficient of friction CoF (reduced by 15%) when compared to the benchmark (emulsion produced using a conventional mineral-based formulation). Once chemically treated (mixed powder of bentonite and activated carbons), the aqueous phase from the green-based emulsions showed extremely low level of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total surfactants. The performance of the lubricants was then tested at the industrial scale: rolling trials on the SAE 1006 steel were carried under industrial conditions at a production plant and a reduction in the rolling forces of almost 18% and the electrical absorption of around 1–2% was recorded in comparison with the rolling of the same grade while adopting the conventional mineral-based formulation. The investigation was completed by assessing the environmental impact of the innovative formulation: two samples were taken from the exhausted emulsion (prepared with the vegetable-based lubricant) to be treated using two different approaches: (i) by means of a physical treatment (vacuum evaporator) or (ii) by means of a chemical treatment (phosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide). In both scenarios, the separated aqueous phase was reused to prepare a new emulsion, whose lubricating performance was again assessed by means of laboratory tests using the Falex tribometer. The proposed results demonstrate that eco-friendly lubricants can even outperform the conventional mineral-based alternatives, providing a non-negligible reduction in the rolling forces and the energy consumption. The advantages from the manufacturing point of view are even more emphasized if considering the possibility of completely reintegrating the treated water into the existing production lines. The present results can concretely pave the way to transition toward a more sustainable, more efficient and cost-effective lubrication practices for the steel industry.</p>

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Eco-Friendly Lubricant for Cold Rolling Applications: Tribological Performance and Water Reuse from Disposed Emulsion

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月9日

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  • M. Antonicelli,
  • A. Piccininni,
  • G. Palumbo

摘要

Lubricants for the cold rolling process play a key role in improving strip surface quality, increasing the efficiency of the cold rolling process, reducing energy consumption, extending rolls’ life and optimizing the cost-effectiveness. Due to the high environmental impact of mineral-based lubricants and the rising price of petroleum oil, the use of biodegradable solutions has become a priority. The present work focuses the attention on the lubricating performance and the environmental impact of two innovative eco-friendly lubricants produced using raw materials from natural origin. Laboratory tests on the Falex tribometer (fresh emulsion with 2% oil content) demonstrated a superior lubricity of the innovative formulations in terms of maximum load (increased by 10%) and coefficient of friction CoF (reduced by 15%) when compared to the benchmark (emulsion produced using a conventional mineral-based formulation). Once chemically treated (mixed powder of bentonite and activated carbons), the aqueous phase from the green-based emulsions showed extremely low level of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total surfactants. The performance of the lubricants was then tested at the industrial scale: rolling trials on the SAE 1006 steel were carried under industrial conditions at a production plant and a reduction in the rolling forces of almost 18% and the electrical absorption of around 1–2% was recorded in comparison with the rolling of the same grade while adopting the conventional mineral-based formulation. The investigation was completed by assessing the environmental impact of the innovative formulation: two samples were taken from the exhausted emulsion (prepared with the vegetable-based lubricant) to be treated using two different approaches: (i) by means of a physical treatment (vacuum evaporator) or (ii) by means of a chemical treatment (phosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide). In both scenarios, the separated aqueous phase was reused to prepare a new emulsion, whose lubricating performance was again assessed by means of laboratory tests using the Falex tribometer. The proposed results demonstrate that eco-friendly lubricants can even outperform the conventional mineral-based alternatives, providing a non-negligible reduction in the rolling forces and the energy consumption. The advantages from the manufacturing point of view are even more emphasized if considering the possibility of completely reintegrating the treated water into the existing production lines. The present results can concretely pave the way to transition toward a more sustainable, more efficient and cost-effective lubrication practices for the steel industry.