Influence of Additives in Metalworking Fluids on the Wear Resistance of Steels

Theability of metalworking fluids (MWF) to cool and lubricate the contact zone between tool and workpiece is strongly dependent on the surface-active substances such as extreme pressure additives (EP) and passive extreme pressure additive (PEP) as well as the chemical surface properties of steel.Low alloyed steels and stainless steels were examined with a wear resistance test by applying MWF with defined varied concentrations of additivesfeaturing different properties e.g. regarding activity and molecular structure.The wear resistance was assessed and correlated with the chemical properties of the metals. Synergistic and antagonistic effects were obtained and will be discussed. The results gained from the experiments, clearly indicate, why the amount of the additives is less decisive for wear resistance than the relative ratio of polar and unpolar EP/PEP-additives.The optimal result furthermore depends on the chemical properties of the considered surfaces.