More about Friction Materials

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Friction materials are used in systems that require specific contact interaction between two or more parts. Typical uses for friction materials are brake and clutch systems, transmissions, and certain household items. Industries include aircraft and aerospace, automotive, railroad, heavy machine manufacturing and defense. The need for effective friction materials is so great that the market for friction products is nearly seven billion dollars per year.

Some of the substances used as friction materials are paper, elastomerics, graphitics, and sintered metals. A wide variety of other materials are also used, such as ceramics, advanced fibers and different metal alloys. Asbestos was actually a widely used friction material until its usage was banned. The proper selection of friction material depends on the application, namely the speeds encountered, the temperatures involved and the performance requirements. For example, sintered metal materials are well-suited to heavy duty applications, like aircraft braking systems and industrial machinery clutches. Surprisingly, perhaps, paper is used as a friction material in many automobiles and light trucks; although the “paper” used in these systems is not the paper to which we are most accustomed. It consists of a cotton or cellulose fiber and phenolic resin mixture, which is later bonded to a steel backing plate.

Friction materials used for clutches and brakes are attached to more standard components made from cast iron and other similar materials. Like paper friction materials, these clutch and brake friction providers are often made of woven, molded or sintered materials composed of a diverse range of substances—including fibers, metal particles and bonding materials. The resulting composite material should have acceptable heat conductivity and the capability to withstand high-temperatures, and be impervious to moisture.

Obviously, the more a friction material is used, the less effective or smaller it will become. Since its primary purpose is based on its capacity for wear and its performance under such conditions, a friction material will have a relatively predictable lifespan. Suppliers and manufacturers of these materials should be able to estimate their period of usefulness based on a given set of conditions, and consumers will fare best when they replace their friction materials accordingly.