Analytical assessment of steel cord drawing lubricant with and without triple mixed-additive addition

Abstract

The lubrication is one of the most significant operations in the process of steel cord drawing which affects the final product quality. In this study, the effect of utilizing triple mixed additive (pH stabilizer, antifoam, and biocide) on the variety analytical parameters of lubrication medium such as pH, Fe and Cu concentrations, conductivity, fat content and bacteria contamination were investigated. The used lubricant was analyzed via different analytical methods in the presence and absence of triple-mixed additive over 30 days period. The results showed that the pH values of the additive-involved lubrication medium are changed in the lower ranges with more correlation than without additive medium. The Fe and Cu concentrations of the additive-contained lubricant are increased with a smaller slope over time. Consequently, the conductivity of the lubricant in the presence of triple-mixed additive is increased very gradually with low slope and high correlation which can be attributed to the synergistic effect of additive with lubricant ingredients in lubrication process. The fat content of additive-included lubrication medium is slightly higher than that of lubrication without additive. Moreover, the bacteria contamination in the presence of triple-mixed additive was very lower than the medium without any additive. The obtained results showed that the analytical characteristics of the lubrication medium were desirably affected by the triple-mixed additive.