Low-Copper Brake Friction Material for Stable Friction and Noise Damping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional brake friction materials with low copper content struggle to achieve excellent friction coefficient stability, abrasion resistance, crack resistance, and low-frequency noise suppression, often leading to poor performance and environmental concerns due to copper pollution.

Innovation Solution

A friction material composition with a copper content of 0.5% by mass or less, incorporating phlogopite or biotite mica and graphite as inorganic fillers, along with a specific particle size range, to enhance friction coefficient stability, abrasion resistance, and suppress low-frequency noise, while minimizing environmental impact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If copper or copper alloy fibers are used in large amounts to improve abrasion resistance and crack resistance, then the friction material exhibits excellent friction coefficient stability and durability, but the friction material causes pollution to rivers, lakes, and oceans due to copper-containing abrasion powder

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefriction coefficient stability and durabilityVSAvoidcopper pollution to water bodies
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes copper and copper alloy components from the friction material composition entirely. The patent specifies that the friction material contains no copper or copper alloy fibers, thereby eliminating the source of copper pollution while maintaining braking performance through alternative material combinations including organic fibers, inorganic fibers, and specific filler materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the material composition parameters by substituting copper-based materials with alternative fiber and filler combinations. The patent defines specific ranges for organic fibers (10-40 wt%), inorganic fibers (5-30 wt%), and fillers (40-70 wt%), creating a copper-free formulation that achieves comparable or superior performance in abrasion resistance and friction stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If copper-free friction materials are used to reduce environmental pollution, then the friction material is environmentally friendly, but it is difficult to achieve excellent friction coefficient stability, abrasion resistance, and low-frequency noise resistance simultaneously

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental pollution reductionVSAvoidfriction coefficient stability, abrasion resistance, and noise resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention employs a composite material system combining multiple fiber types (organic and inorganic) with specifically selected filler materials. The patent specifies a composite structure including organic fibers for flexibility, inorganic fibers for heat resistance and structural integrity, and a balanced filler composition (40-70 wt%) including metal powders and ceramic particles, achieving synergistic effects that simultaneously provide friction stability, abrasion resistance, and noise suppression without copper.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The invention assigns different functional roles to different material components within the friction material. Organic fibers provide flexibility and binding, inorganic fibers provide heat resistance and structural framework, while specific filler particles provide friction modulation and noise damping. This functional differentiation allows each component to optimize its local contribution to overall performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If low-frequency noise is suppressed to improve user comfortability, then the friction material provides better riding comfort, but the formulation becomes more complex requiring specific particle size control and component ratios

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser comfortability and noise suppressionVSAvoidformulation complexity with particle size and ratio control
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention controls low-frequency noise through specific particle size parameters of the filler materials. The patent specifies that metal powder particles have an average diameter of 1-10 μm and ceramic particles have an average diameter of 5-15 μm, with the total filler content controlled at 40-70 wt%. These parameter specifications create optimal acoustic damping characteristics while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.

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 composition achieves balanced performance in friction coefficient stability, abrasion resistance, and low-frequency noise suppression, even at low copper levels, reducing environmental pollution and improving brake effectiveness.

Implementation Method 1

the at least one of phlogopite and biotite has an average particle size of from 600 μm to 1,100 μm, and the graphite has an average particle size of from 450 μm to 1,100 μm

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVibration damping: Damping

Implementation Method 2

a friction material composition... containing... inorganic fillers... at least one of phlogopite and biotite... and graphite

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP3409743B1Friction material composition, friction material, and friction member
Publication Date: 2021.03.24 RESONAC CORP

AI summary

Provided is a friction material composition including: a binder; an organic filler; an inorganic filler; and a fiber substrate, in which a content of copper as an element is 0.5% by mass or less, the friction material composition contains at least one of phlogopite or biotite in a total of from 3% by mass to 9% by mass, and a graphite in an amount of from 2% by mass to 6% by mass, as the inorganic fillers, the at least one of phlogopite or biotite has an average particle size of from 340 µm to 1,500 µm, and the graphite has an average particle size of from 450 µm to 1,100 µm.