The metalworking industry is comprised of different types of operations. In this study
we concentrate on processing mainly by cutting, boring, grinding, etc. of founded
raw materials of iron, steel, or aluminium. These processes require large volumes of
chemicals for washing, cooling and lubrication. The largest volumes of chemicals
and hazardous materials stem from the great amount of metal working fluids (MWFs)
that are used in machining and grinding operations for cooling, lubrication, and
removal of metal particles, at a total cost which is often 5–20% of the total value
added in the process. Daimler Chrysler, for example, identified MWF-cost to be 16%
of the total production cost in metalworking operations in the mid-1980s (IAMS
1995). In addition to MWFs, metalworking processes also need secondary chemicals