CLEANING AND SURFACE CONDITIONING OF FORMED METAL SURFACES

A lubricant and surface conditioner for formed metal surfaces, particularly beverage containers, reduces the coefficient of static friction of said metal surfaces and enables drying said metal surfaces at a lower temperature. An aqueous composition for forming the conditioner by contact with metal surfaces includes a water-soluble organic material selected from a phosphate ester, alcohol, fatty acid including mono-, di-, tri-, and polyacids; fatty acid derivatives such as salts, hydroxy acids, amides, esters, ethers and derivatives thereof; and mixtures thereof and at least one of the elements selected from zirconium, titanium, cerium, aluminum, iron, tin, vanadium, tantalum, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, and hafnium in metallic or ionic form. In order to avoid formation of sludge in the aqueous lubricant and surface conditioner forming composition, the composition should contain as little as possible of materials containing phenanthrene rings, such as conventional surfactants made by ethoxylating resin. In order to assure the minimization of such surfactants in the aqueous lubricant and surface conditioner forming composition, surfactants containing phenanthrene rings should also be avoided or minimized in earlier cleaning stages.