METALLC CONTAINER STOCKS ARE LUBRICATED WITH CITRIC ACID ESTERS. THE IMPROVED LUBRICATED CONTAINER STOCKS OF THE INVENTION ARE CHARACTERIZED BY EXCELLENT WETTABILITY AND ADHESION OF ORGANIC COATINGS IN GENERAL AND ESPECIALLY EPOXY RESIN COATING COMPOSITIONS. THE CITRIC ACID ESTER LUBRICANTS ARE PHAMACOLOGICALLY SAFE AND ARE EASILY APPLIED AT LOW COST BY ELEECTROSTATIC DEOSITION AND OTHER METHODS PRESENTLY USED FOR APPLYING PRIOR ART LUBRICATING AGENTS. THE METHOD OF THE INVENTION IS ESPECIALLY USEUL IN LUBRICATING TINPLATE STRIP, BLACKPLATE STRIP, BLACKPLATE STRIP HAVING A CHROMIUM-CONTAINING COATING THEREEON, AND ALUMINUM STRIP OF CONTAINER STOCK GAUGE WITH CCITRIC ACD ESTER LUBRICANTS HAVING THE FOLLOWING STRUCTURAL FORMULA:

R1-O-CO-CH2-C(-OR4)(-CO-OR2)-CH2-CO-OR3

WHEREIN R1, R2 AND R3 ARE INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROGEN AND ALCOHOLIC RESIDUAL CONTAINING 1-18 CARBON ATOMS, R4 IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROGEN AND CARBOXYLIC CID RADICALS CONTAINING 1-18 CARBON AOMS, AND AT LEAST ONE OF R1, R2 AND R3 IS AN ALCOHOLIC RESIDUE. THE INVENTION FURTHER PROVIDES A NOVEL METHOD OF APPLYING AN ORGANIC COATING ON LUBRICATED METALLIC CONTAINER STOCKS.