Technical Paper
Tribological Aspects of Carbon Ceramic and Cast-Iron Brake Rotors with Organic Pad Materials in Simulation and Measurement
2009-10-11
2009-01-3010
Over the last two decades, intensive research in the field of innovative brake rotor materials for high performance vehicles has been done. Due to the market demand for lightweight components with high strength even at elevated temperatures, most new concepts are based on fiber-reinforced materials [1]. The most prominent concept is a silicon carbide matrix material with embedded carbon fibers (C/C-SiC), which penetrated into the market for brake rotors in 2000 [2,3]. Such carbon ceramic brake rotor systems (CKB) have already been made available for a wide range of premium sedans, SUVs and sports cars. In terms of tribology, these rotors pose new challenges for an understanding of the relevant friction phenomena in the boundary layer, as well as for suitable formulations of brake pad materials. The brake system's macroscopic tribological performance with such pads is determined by a closed-loop interaction between heat, wear and sliding resistance on the micro scale.