STUDY OF LUBRICATED COLD ROLLING PROCESS USING BIO-DEGRADABLE OILS/EMULSIONS

Abstract

This study investigates the transition from mineral oil-based lubricants to biodegradable alternatives in cold rolling operations, emphasizing tribological performance, mechanical properties and its impact on environmental. The lubricant helps in decreasing the friction and makes comparatively smooth output in compare to dry friction rolling process. An exhaustive literature review has been carried out to develop research gaps and research objectives. Cold rolling of aluminium alloy 6061 has been carried out with different rolling parameters as rolling speed, reduction ratio and different lubricating conditions. Tribological properties has been analyzed with biodegradable oil-based oil/Emulsions (BB) as lubricant and compared with mineral oil-based oil/emulsion lubricant (MB). It has been carried out on Pin on Disc setup according to ASTM G99. Biodegradable lubricants derived from vegetable oils and synthetic esters demonstrate comparable tribological properties. The mechanical properties, such as yield strength, hardness, and surface finish, of rolled sheet also compared with both BB and MB lubrication. Rolling force and power consumption in cold rolling also compared with both the BB and MB lubrication as well as environmental impact. Both the oil/ emulsions had shown similar tribological properties.BB and MB oil/emulsion had been tested on a laboratory cold rolling mill in the cold rolling of aluminium strips.BB had 5-8 % greater rolling forces than MB, 6.3% higher power consumption; however, both emulsion systems resulted in similar results in surface finishes (Ra = 0.35 – 0.38 μm) and mechanical properties micro hardness and tensile properties (HV 65-75; TS 135-145 MPa) of the rolled sheet. Environmental evaluations indicated that BB are superior in terms of sustainability for biodegradability 87% vs. 18%; 40% lower COD. In summary, these results indicate that biodegradable palm oil-based emulsions can serve as technical alternatives and environmentally superior options for cold rolling aluminium, while providing the same level of quality and performance as mineral oil-based lubricants. Findings support the feasibility of adopting biodegradable lubricants in industrial cold rolling, aligning mechanical performance of the process with environmental sustainability objectives.