Method for the wet drawing of steel cables for reinforcing tires

A process for the wet drawing of a steel wire intended for reinforcing a pneumatic tire, said process comprising the steps of:

• starting from a steel wire having a diameter greater than 0.6 mm;
• and
• drawing said wire through a series of dies of decreasing diameter, in the presence of a lubricant composition that is in the form of an aqueous dispersion, down to a predetermined final diameter of less than 0.5 mm,
• wherein said aqueous dispersion comprises solid particles of an ester of a fatty acid comprising from 5 to 40 carbon atoms,
• wherein the fatty acid ester corresponds to the formula:
• [R—COO—]x—A—[OH]y (I)
• in which R is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group, A is a hydrocarbon group, optionally interrupted by one or more heteroatoms, of valency x+y, x is an average number from 1 to 5, y is an average number from 0 to 5, and x+y varies from 1 to 10;
• wherein the ester is a diester corresponding to the formula:
• R1—CO—O—A—O—CO—R2 (II)
• in which R1 and R2, which are identical or different, are linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon groups comprising from 4 to 39 carbon atoms;
• and
• wherein R1 and R2 comprise from 13 to 21 carbon atoms.