Mechanical working in the presence of a metal containing copper or aluminum

An aqueous lubricant composition having a pH between 6 and 10 which comprises:

• an alkanol amine of the formula
• N(R3)(R4)(R5) (I),
• wherein R3, R4 and R5 independently of each other designated a group (AO)nH, where AO is an ethyleneoxy group or a propyleneoxy group and n is a number from 2-6, the number of ethyleneoxy groups in relation to the number of propyleneoxy group is between 2:1 and 1:3;
• an anionic compound selected from the group consisting of a phosphate ester of the formula
• R1(oxyalkylene)nOP(O)(X)(OH) (II), or
• (HO)2(O)P-(oxyalkylene)m-OP(O)(OH)2 (III),
• where R1 is an alkyl group with 1-12 carbon atoms, X is hydroxyl or the group R1O, where R1 is an alkyl group with 1-12 carbon atoms, oxyalklene is a group containing 2-4 carbon atoms, n is a number from 1-15 and m is a number from 4-20, or a salt thereof;
• and a carboxylic acid of the formula
• R2(COOH)p (IV),
• where R2 is an alkyl group with 6-12 carbon atoms and p is 1 or 2, or a salt thereof, or a mixture thereof;
• wherein the alkanol amine I is present in an amount of 50-90% by weight, the anionic compounds II, III and IV are present in an amount of 10-50% by weight, with the substantial balance being water.