Lubricity of Volatile Lubricants in Ironing Process

A series of experiments is carried out using a strip-ironing type tribometer to investigate the possibility of the volatile lubricants as the lubricant for the bulk metal forming process. The tool material is the die steel alloy SKD 11, and the workpiece material is the mild steel SPCE, the stainless steel SUS 304 and the aluminum alloy A 3004. Experiments show that the volatile lubricants have the same lubricity as the generally used mineral oil with low-viscosity judging from the value of friction coefficient, the surface appearance of ironed workpiece and the surface damage of the die. The volatile lubricants can be applied to the ironing process with 40% reduction in thickness when the workpiece surface texture and the compatibility between the die and workpiece are properly considered.