Title

THE IMPACT OF ROLLING OIL LUBRICITY AND NEW SYNTHETIC LUBRICANT TECHNOLOGY ON CLEAN STEEL PRODUCTION

THE IMPACT OF ROLLING OIL LUBRICITY AND NEW SYNTHETIC LUBRICANT TECHNOLOGY ON CLEAN STEEL PRODUCTION

Authorship

Shultz, Steve

Shultz, Steve

I am this author

DOI

10.5151/2594-5297-0060

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Abstract

Previous work by the author has indicated a direct correlation between rolling oil lubricity and the production of clean surface “full-hard” rolled sheet product and annealed sheet product. This relationship is borne out by the existence of a primary layer of organometallic residues strongly adhering to the steel strip surface even after other surface oils and iron particulates have been removed by solvents such as hexane. We have named this surface residue layer “embedded residue”, and it is comprised of metallic soaps (primarily iron soaps, of course) in a matrix of “ground-in” iron fines, fatty acids and other rolling oil components. This residue is easily measured in the field or the laboratory and is directly related to the lubricity found in the roll bite. Lower roll-bite lubricity results in correspondingly higher “embedded residues”, with a concomitant increase in Leco surface carbons for the annealed sheet. These residues, whether full-hard or from the anneal interfere with subsequent processing of the sheet. As such, a study was undertaken to observe the effect of higher lubricity synthetic esters on the formation of this layer. The hypothesis is that since the embedded residue layer is so strongly correlated with roll-bite lubricity, then an increase in roll-bite lubricity should naturally decrease the volume of this “embedded residue” layer. Since previous studies had all involved the more obvious measures to increase rolling lubricity such as increasing rolling oil saponification number, reducing roll-roughness, or increasing oil volume on the sheet (“plate-out”), this study would examine the potential of increasing the lubricity beyond that which was considered the “ultimate” in lubricity: a “fully-fatted” or 100% C-18 fatty acid chain length synthetic lubricant. As such, a series of higher chain length synthetic esters, C-20 and above, have been examined. The initial laboratory work and field experience with these esters does verify higher lubricity in the rolling oil than has been previously available. This has translated into lower embedded residues, as well as other benefits resulting from this increase in lubricity. The following data will describe the methods used to test these hypotheses, and the results that were found.

Previous work by the author has indicated a direct correlation between rolling oil lubricity and the production of clean surface “full-hard” rolled sheet product and annealed sheet product. This relationship is borne out by the existence of a primary layer of organometallic residues strongly adhering to the steel strip surface even after other surface oils and iron particulates have been removed by solvents such as hexane. We have named this surface residue layer “embedded residue”, and it is comprised of metallic soaps (primarily iron soaps, of course) in a matrix of “ground-in” iron fines, fatty acids and other rolling oil components. This residue is easily measured in the field or the laboratory and is directly related to the lubricity found in the roll bite. Lower roll-bite lubricity results in correspondingly higher “embedded residues”, with a concomitant increase in Leco surface carbons for the annealed sheet. These residues, whether full-hard or from the anneal interfere with subsequent processing of the sheet. As such, a study was undertaken to observe the effect of higher lubricity synthetic esters on the formation of this layer. The hypothesis is that since the embedded residue layer is so strongly correlated with roll-bite lubricity, then an increase in roll-bite lubricity should naturally decrease the volume of this “embedded residue” layer. Since previous studies had all involved the more obvious measures to increase rolling lubricity such as increasing rolling oil saponification number, reducing roll-roughness, or increasing oil volume on the sheet (“plate-out”), this study would examine the potential of increasing the lubricity beyond that which was considered the “ultimate” in lubricity: a “fully-fatted” or 100% C-18 fatty acid chain length synthetic lubricant. As such, a series of higher chain length synthetic esters, C-20 and above, have been examined. The initial laboratory work and field experience with these esters does verify higher lubricity in the rolling oil than has been previously available. This has translated into lower embedded residues, as well as other benefits resulting from this increase in lubricity. The following data will describe the methods used to test these hypotheses, and the results that were found.

Keywords

oil, Lubricity, LUBRICANT TECHNOLOGY

oil, Lubricity, LUBRICANT TECHNOLOGY