Brake Pad Friction Composition for Stable Stainless Steel Braking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional friction materials without copper components, when used with stainless steel disc rotors, exhibit reduced stability and wear resistance, especially in low-speed braking conditions, and fail to provide sufficient descaling performance for regenerative brakes in electric and hybrid vehicles.

Innovation Solution

A friction material composition for disc brake pads that includes a binder, a fiber base material, and a friction modifier, with 10-15% carbonaceous lubricant and 15-30% inorganic friction modifiers of Mohs hardness 6 or more, and a stainless steel disc rotor, optimizing thermal conductivity between 1.2-3.0 W/m·K to enhance heat dissipation and prevent thermal decomposition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional friction material without copper component is used with stainless steel disc rotor, then rust resistance is improved, but braking stability and wear resistance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverust resistanceVSAvoidbraking stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the friction material by precisely controlling copper content (0.1-2.0 wt%), iron content (3.0-8.0 wt%), and aluminum content (1.0-5.0 wt%), along with specific particle size distributions of friction modifiers (10-50 μm and 50-100 μm ranges), to optimize both corrosion resistance and braking stability for stainless steel disc rotors

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite friction material system combining multiple inorganic fillers (calcium carbonate, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide), organic fillers (cashew dust, tire rubber), fiber materials (aramid, acrylic, cellulose), and binders (phenolic resin, nitrile rubber) to achieve synergistic effects that simultaneously provide rust resistance and maintain braking stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-affected harmful factors

If friction material without copper component is used, then environmental compliance is improved, but descaling performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental complianceVSAvoiddescaling performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent adjusts the particle size distribution parameters of friction modifiers to include two specific ranges (10-50 μm and 50-100 μm) and controls the content of aluminum-containing compounds (1.0-5.0 wt%) to enhance descaling effectiveness while maintaining copper content at 0.1-2.0 wt% for environmental compliance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies friction modifiers with different particle sizes (coarser 50-100 μm and finer 10-50 μm ranges) to create localized grinding effects that target rust and scale deposits on the disc rotor surface, with larger particles providing aggressive descaling and smaller particles providing finishing action

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Use of energy by moving object

If regenerative brake is installed, then energy efficiency is improved, but braking load reduction causes insufficient descaling performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoiddescaling performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent increases the content of aluminum-containing compounds to 1.0-5.0 wt% and optimizes friction modifier particle sizes (10-100 μm ranges) to compensate for reduced braking loads in hybrid vehicles with regenerative brakes, ensuring sufficient descaling performance occurs during occasional conventional brake applications

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides improved stability and wear resistance of the braking effect, inhibiting temperature rise and thermal decomposition of organic substances, while maintaining effective lubrication and grinding performance, thus enhancing the braking stability and wear resistance of the friction material.

Implementation Method 1

a friction material composition for disc brake pads that includes a binder, a fiber base material, and a friction modifier

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

optimizing thermal conductivity between 1.2-3.0 W/m·K to enhance heat dissipation and prevent thermal decomposition

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS20230341020A1Friction pair
Publication Date: 2023.10.26 NISSHINBO BRAKE INC

AI summary

To provide a friction pair having an excellent stability of a braking effect and wear resistance of a friction material, where the friction pair is consisting of a disc brake pad having a friction material manufactured from a friction material composition containing a binder, a fiber base material, and a friction modifier, but not containing a copper component and a ferrous-base metallic fiber, and a stainless steel disc rotor. The present invention uses a friction material composition that does not contain a metallic fiber other than a ferrous-base metallic fiber but contains 10-15 weight % of a carbonaceous lubricant as a friction modifier relative to an entire friction material composition, and 15-30 weight % of an inorganic friction modifier with Mohs hardness of 6 or more relative to the entire friction material composition, where a thermal conductivity of the friction material is 1.2-3.0 W/m·K.