The production of pollution can be a significant industrial problem during cold rolling. Pollution is often
attributed to the formation of wear debris during rolling, which mixes with the lubricant oil used to
cover the rolled sheet. The cleanliness of the rolled sheet, its consequent aesthetics, and the downstream
performance of the process are affected by the production of pollution. In the first stage of this study, the
pollution formed during industrial cold rolling was collected and found to be composed of a mixture of
small stainless steel debris and lubricant. Second, the study investigated the effect of rolling conditions
on the generation of wear debris. Tests were carried out using laboratory cold rolling mills. The effects of
the type of stainless steel (ferritic or austenitic), of the surface finish of the sheets before rolling, of the
thickness reduction ratio, of previous annealing of the sheet, and of lubricant temperature on the wear
of sheets due to rolling were investigated. Cold rolling resulted in weight reduction of the sheets due to
the formation of wear debris. Weight loss for sheets finished by conventional acid pickling was greater
than for sheets finished using shot blasting. A further reduction in the wear of the sheets due to rolling
was observed when their surface roughness was decreased by polishing. An increase in the thickness
reduction ratio lowered the elongation to fracture of the rolled sheets and increased their wear. Previous
annealing of the sheets was then used to successfully reduce wear of the rolled sheets. An increase in the
temperature of the oil used during rolling increased wear of the sheets due to rolling. Finally, industrial
trials were carried out applying the rolling conditions that had resulted in lower weight loss for the
sheets during the laboratory-scale tests. This significantly reduced the amount of pollution produced
during industrial cold rolling of stainless steel, improving the final quality of the product