A small laboratory scale hot strip test mill was developed for the purpose of studying the roll wear in a hot strip mill. Using the test mill, various phenomena observed in production mills were reproduced. They were wear patterns, cracks, cat-ear wear, black film, effects of oil lubrication, and so on. The phenomena in the test mill were compared with those in production mills and utility of the test mill was discussed.
Using the test mill, anti-wear properties of mineral oils and fatty acids were estimated. It was found that some mineral oils increased the roll wear. It was also found that stearic acid in a mineral oil had an excellent anti-wear property. The relation between anti-wear properties and lubricity was discussed. The different effects of fatty acids on the roll wear were considered to come from the enlargement of difference of their lubricity due to very long rolling length.
