Brake friction materials

Tribological properties of brake friction materials are presented considering compositional effects, processing parameters, and microstructural aspects of sliding interfaces during brake applications. In the first part, the role of ingredients on the brake performance is summarized by grouping the constituents into binders, reinforcements, and property modifiers. The manufacturing parameters that affect compressibility, hardness, and porosity are also examined for optimization of brake performance. Secondly, the sliding interfaces between brake pads and a disk are studied since the friction films on the disk surface and the plateaus on the pad surface are closely related to the critical brake performance including noise propensity, fade phenomena, etc. In the last section, the environmental issues of the brake friction material and the current development efforts toward next generation friction materials are discussed.