Imagine we had the opportunity to do a massive survey asking this question to friction industry formulators.
They’d surely answer iron in first place, probably followed by copper, zinc, tin, maybe aluminium…But presumably not bismuth! It sounds quite an exotic metal, isn’t it? If you think this metal is more present in investigation laboratories rather than in industrial massive plants, you’d better leave the twentieth century behind and go deep in the environmental trends of 2020’s.
It is true nevertheless, bismuth had few commercial applications at the beginning of the century, and those applications that use it generally require small quantities relatively to other raw materials.
Several of the new applications in free machining steels, lead free solders and galvanizing had the size and potential growth to put intense pressure on demand for bismuth, and of course they did!
Searching on ECHA the CAS Nº for bismuth on its metal form, as well as for its sulfide (Bi2S3) and its derived oxide (Bi2O3) “No hazards have been classified”, and so, applications for this metal increased even more. In fact, it is currently being used in large scale on fine electronic components, antibacterials, tissue engineering, biosensing etc.
This immediate impact on the market made bismuth’s usage feasible for the friction industry. So let’s bring this back to reflect, while the price of metals such as tin and antimony increase and become more and more unstable, bismuth is doing the exact opposite, and there isn’t any forecast that sees this situation changing soon!
and realize that some products that have been commonly used such as antimony trisulfide or tin sulfides, and of course tin powder, have now a serious contendant, which not only is able to provide a similar effect, or even an improvement, but also it is reaching its price level, if it has not already done so.
And that’s why this metal is already being used for the most advanced friction material manufacturers from a technical perspective, and of course we are ready for it!
At rimsa, bismuth sulfide in pure (BI81) and composite (BI65) compositions are available, to match the requirements of your application. Thanks to our production technology, we ensure consistent quality and very stable chemical composition, without impurities and free of heavy metals. And yet are more bismuth-based products to come!
Do not hesitate to contact us for any question or requirement you may have. We will be happy to collaborate with you
Visit us
Armenteres s / n – Pol.Ind. MATACÀS- Nave 21 08980
Sant Feliu de Llobregat Barcelona, Spain
Call us
+34 93 666 46 11 / +34 686 140 064
Write to us
friction@rimsa.com
Being automotive such a globalized industry, a concern that has sprung up on a specific market, can quickly become into a worldwide trend if it is properly justified by a greater good.
A clear example of it can be seen on the friction industry. What started many years ago in Washington and California, when copper considered as main cause for the extinction of salmon and rainbow trout, due to its neurotoxic behaviour in fish , has become into a priority project for almost all material development laboratories across the globe. Nevertheless, even there are still some grey areas to clarify, it is clear that the main brake system & vehicle manufacturers are already requiring copper-free formulations.
Friction industry is going on this lead but that’s not an easy job, as not a single solution has emerged as direct replacement for this material with unique properties. Engineers and friction material formulators must come up with new strategies to replace this non-ferrous metal if they want to stay on the run.
To begin with, for those companies using this metal on its pure form, they can start by reducing the %Cu of it, as 5% Cu will be allowed until 2025. We will address this case more deeply on an incoming case study.
Other companies, however, are using already a very small amount of copper on the overall of their formulations. Either because they are using a brass instead of copper or because the %Cu by itself is very low.
In this case, our certified EN GJL 250 cast iron chips, better known as ecoCast, can become an alternative material to brass for those partners willing to remove any copper-containing product from their formulation, thanks to their overall properties.
These chips are able to provide heat conductivity and damping properties thanks to the graphite flakes segregated from the matrix, which turns this material into a self-lubricated chip that can provide a wear reduction
Finally, other companies have opted to create new copper-free formulations either by reformulating an existing copper-containing mix or creating a new one.
The key point to achieve a balanced formulation goes through being able to create a stable transfer layer while protecting phenolic resin from degradation in order to protect the integrity of the whole friction material.
The high heat dissipation capacity of copper combined with its ability to create primary plateaus makes impossible to find a direct replacement. So, if there is not a harmonized solution, there’s at least a successful strategy to address this challenge?
EnviroLube differential chemical behaviour has been proved effective to provide optimal performance, even replacing copper in existing formulations. Now is being used in Cu-free OE, OES and AM applications all around the globe. Depending on the grade, our customers will find the right choice for their application
It is a family of high-performance additives that contain low melting point phases, which undergo an endothermic reaction. It provides cooling capacity, helping not only to increase heat removal capacity, but also to reduce the working temperature, considered a key parameter to be aware of either on NAO as well as aluminium-based formulations
Moreover, due to its particular composition, it releases in a controlled manner tin sulfide in the working surface, which is generated in-situ on the working surface of the friction material, helping on the high temperature sections to maintain good performance
Do not hesitate to contact us for any question or requirement you may have. We will be happy to collaborate with you
Visit us
Armenteres s / n – Pol.Ind. MATACÀS- Nave 21 08980
Sant Feliu de Llobregat Barcelona, Spain
Call us
+34 93 666 46 11 / +34 686 140 064
Write to us
friction@rimsa.com
Our quality department, made up of highly qualified people with vast experience, guarantee the management of all processes according to the ISO9001: 2015 standard.
We are committed to continuous improvement in order to optimize our productivity and quality, which begins with the selection of suppliers and strict quality control of all raw materials. From here we adhere to strict control plans that we apply in all operating processes, until the product is received by the customer.
We are proud that this effort is recognized by customers, who in the 2019 satisfaction survey rated us with the highest marks in terms of product quality, confidence in rimsa and responsiveness, having stated 52% of the same an increase in the quality perceived in the last 5 years.
Thus, we aspire this 2020 to meet for the sixth consecutive year our goal of 0% customer rejection of manufactured product (0 defects), and for the fourth consecutive year of our commercialized products.
Having made the recycled product the base of our initial growth, our objective is to ensure that the raw material received and the intermediate product are properly analyzed and obey the specified parameters in order to guarantee a homogeneous final product, which complies not only with the specification, but ensure stable performance.
Regarding the products that we commercialize, the selection of suppliers is essential. From rimsa we guarantee compliance with the specifications before each shipment, with a specific control plan.
Rimsa has been certified by ISO9001 since 2001. As a company that assumes the principles and requirements established by ISO 9001, we adhere to our commitment to quality and recognize that customer satisfaction and continuous improvement are two essential elements. for our organization.
This year 2020 we will also certify our commitment to continuous improvement in environmental management, as we will complete the integration process of ISO14001. We believe that this is a universal tool that allows evaluating an organization’s efforts to achieve adequate and reliable environmental protection.
Do not hesitate to contact us for any question or requirement you may have. We will be happy to collaborate with you
Visit us
Armenteres s / n – Pol.Ind. MATACÀS- Nave 21 08980
Sant Feliu de Llobregat Barcelona, Spain
Call us
+34 93 666 46 11 / +34 686 140 064
Write to us
friction@rimsa.com
