New High Performance Lubricity Additive for Use in the Machining of Aluminium Alloys and Steel (Neat Oils)

摘要

Neat oil metalworking fluids are products which are formulated by blending performance enhancing additives into a petroleum derived base oil, a vegetable oil or a synthetically derived ester. The inclusion of boundary lubricant additives in neat metalworking fluids (for example, esters, phosphorus, sulphur and chlorine containing Extreme Pressure/Anti-Wear additives) is absolutely essential to ensure adequate lubrication between the work piece and the tool, thereby optimising the efficiency of the cutting process and maximising tool life. A recent development programme has lead to the development of a new, unique polymeric additive which shows great potential for use as a lubricity additive in the machining of aluminium and steel alloys. Based solely on carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, the new polymeric lubricity additive demonstrates outstanding lubrication performance, which was measured in terms of reduced torque in form tapping of aluminium and steel alloys, reduced friction, and reduced wear. Laboratory micro-tapping torque tests conducted on the new lubricity additive blended into mineral oil and ester based formulations have shown that the torque required to form tap 6 mm holes in Al 6061 can be reduced by 5 – 31% and by 16 – 29% in form tapping hard steel 1018. The inclusion of the new polymeric lubricity additive in a mineral oil base fluid can reduce the coefficient of friction from 0.1 for the base oil to 0.01 for the the formulated product. In the Reichert test, a non-addivated minreal oil base fluid will typically produce a wear scar of 25 mm~2, with the new polymeric lubricity additive included this can be reduced to 15mm~2. Similar perfomance improvements are achievable when adding the new polymeric lubricity additive to ester base oils.