LM

The LM series are not simple mechanical mixtures, but rather engineered composites. Each particle contains a synergistic combination of several components, including:

• Physical Lubricants: Such as special graphites, which form sliding layers.
• Lamellar-Structured Metal Sulfides: Act as solid lubricants across different temperature ranges.
• Chemical Catalysts: Other metal sulfides that catalyze and modify the decomposition of the phenolic resin at high temperatures.

This composite structure ensures that all components act jointly and locally at the friction interface, creating a more stable and effective tribofilm than a simple mixture of the same ingredients.

The main objective of the LM Series is to offer a high-performance, cost-optimized alternative to Antimony Trisulfide (Sb₂S₃) and other traditional lubricants like Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS₂). Its use allows formulators to:

• Eliminate Antimony: Comply with increasingly strict environmental and health regulations (e.g., REACH) that classify Sb₂S₃ as a substance of very high concern.
• Reduce Dependency on Volatile Costs: The price of antimony and molybdenum is subject to large market fluctuations (LME). The LM series offers much greater price stability.
• Maintain or Improve Performance: They are designed to match or exceed the performance of Sb₂S₃ in terms of coefficient of friction (µ) stability, fade resistance, and wear reduction.

As comparative tests (e.g., SAE J2522) demonstrate, LM09 offers a very similar friction performance to Sb₂S₃ across the entire temperature range.

• Coefficient of Friction (µ) Stability: LM09 closely follows the friction curve of Sb₂S₃, including the characterization, fading, and recovery phases.
• Wear and NVH Reduction: Like antimony, the LM series helps to form a stable and robust transfer layer (tribofilm), which is crucial for reducing pad and disc wear, and for damping vibrations that cause noise.
• Processability: The LM series is supplied with a narrow and controlled particle size distribution, ensuring excellent dispersion during the mixing process.

The synergy comes from the tribochemical interaction of the components within a single particle. Instead of having separate particles of graphite, sulfide A, and sulfide B, the LM series concentrates all functions in one spot. At high temperatures:

1. The catalytic components modify the decomposition of the phenolic resin, preventing abrupt degradation and the formation of gaseous by-products that destabilize friction.
2. Simultaneously, the physical and lamellar lubricants are released and integrated into this modified matrix, forming a dense, coherent, and self-repairing tribofilm on the pad and disc surfaces.
   This combined and localized action is much more efficient than that of the components acting separately.

• "Drop-in" Solution: They allow for the replacement of Sb₂S₃ with minimal adjustments to the rest of the formulation, accelerating the development of antimony-free products.
• Cost/Performance Ratio: They provide high-end performance at a lower and more predictable cost than traditional lubricants based on market-quoted metals.
• Flexibility: As an expert in the field, RIMSA can develop custom-made ("tailor-