Application of solid lubricant during warm rolling process of interstitial free steel

In this paper, a solid lubricant has been applied to the warm rolling process of interstitial free ( IF) steel and its effect has been studied compared with dry condition. The solid lubricant effectively reduced the rolling force. The surface quality and microstructure of strips were improved by solid lubricant during warm rolling process. The high temperature behaviour of the solid lubricant has been in situ observed in a high temperature laser scanning confocal microscope. A series of pin on disc tests with different temperatures and lubrication conditions were carried out to study the contact behaviour of this solid lubricant in contact area. The results show that the solid lubricant can effectively eliminate the surface defect and reduce the wear and oxidation in the contact zone compared with the dry sliding condition. The contact surface under solid lubricant condition presents a lower friction coefficient compared to the dry condition.