Performance of a new dry lubricant in the forming of aluminum alloy sheets

In metal forming processes, lubricants are necessary to prevent adhesion, scratching, galling and material transfer. With increasing concerns about environment and health, development and application of green lubricants became very important. In this paper, the usefulness and lubricity of boric acid dry films for cold forming of aluminum alloy sheets has been investigated. Drawing and stretching test results revealed that, regardless of types of alloys, the lubricity of boric acid films is comparable with that of some commonly used commercial solid and liquid lubricants over a wide range of forming speeds. Since boric acid is non-toxic and water soluble, the post-cleaning process is relatively simple and safe. Thus, it can be expected that the type of lubrication adopted in this study is not only cost-effective and highly efficient for aluminum forming, but also is environmentally safe.