A Review of Cooling Technologies for Flat Rolled Aluminium Products

The basic principles of the cold and foil aluminium rolling technology used in most rolling plants today have been around for many years with the major flatness control developments taking place 30 years ago. A crucial component of this technology is the coolant and lubricant fluid used for this process. In cold and foil rolling, kerosene is used as a coolant for the work rolls and as a lubricant for the rolling process, with the aid of specific additives. A lot of alternatives have been tested in the past but the kerosene medium has remained as the industry standard. An overview of the alternative technologies is discussed.