Brake pad performance and selection guide
In the braking system of a car, brake pads play a vital role, and their performance is directly related to driving safety. The performance of brake pads depends largely on their materials. At present, the materials of brake pads on the market are mainly divided into organic materials, semi-metallic materials and ceramic materials. There are significant differences in the service life, braking performance, cost and other aspects of brake pads of different materials.
Brake pads made of organic materials, also known as non-metallic brake pads, are commonly used brake pad materials for early cars. It is mainly composed of a variety of organic fibers such as glass fiber and aramid fiber, as well as adhesives such as rubber and resin. The biggest advantage of brake pads made of this material is that it is low in price, which is very attractive to car owners with limited budgets. At the same time, brake pads made of organic materials produce less noise when working, which can provide a relatively quiet in-car environment for drivers and passengers.
In addition, it also has relatively little wear on the brake disc, which helps to extend the service life of the brake disc. However, brake pads made of organic materials also have obvious disadvantages. Due to its material characteristics, organic brake pads have poor high temperature resistance.
Under conditions such as frequent braking or long downhill driving, the temperature of the brake pads will rise rapidly, resulting in a decrease in the friction coefficient and a decline in braking performance, which is what we often call "thermal decay".
Moreover, organic brake pads wear out faster and have a relatively short service life. They need to be replaced more frequently, which is not necessarily cost-effective from the perspective of long-term use costs.
Semi-metallic brake pads are developed on the basis of organic materials. On the basis of organic fibers, a certain proportion of metal powders, such as copper powder and iron powder, are added. The addition of these metal powders significantly improves the high temperature resistance and wear resistance of the brake pads.
Compared with organic brake pads, semi-metallic brake pads can withstand higher temperatures and can still maintain good braking performance under high temperature conditions, effectively reducing the occurrence of thermal decay. At the same time, due to the presence of metal components, semi-metallic brake pads are more durable, have a longer service life, and reduce the frequency of replacement. However, semi-metallic brake pads are not perfect.
Due to the addition of metal components, it will produce a lot of noise when working, especially in low temperature environment or at the beginning of braking, the harsh braking sound may cause trouble to the driver and passengers. In addition, the wear of the brake disc by semi-metallic brake pads is relatively large, and long-term use may shorten the replacement cycle of the brake disc and increase the maintenance cost of the vehicle.
Ceramic brake pads are a new type of high-end brake pad material that has emerged in recent years. It is mainly composed of ceramic fiber, aramid fiber, adhesive and a small amount of metal material.
Ceramic brake pads have many excellent properties. First of all, its high temperature resistance is extremely excellent. It can maintain a stable friction coefficient in a high temperature environment of up to 1000℃, and there is almost no thermal decay, which makes it widely used in high-performance vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles.
Secondly, ceramic brake pads have excellent wear resistance and a service life that is several times that of organic brake pads, which greatly reduces the replacement frequency and reduces the use cost and time cost of car owners. In addition, the noise generated by ceramic brake pads during operation is very small, almost negligible, and the wear on the brake disc is also very small, which can effectively protect the brake disc and extend its service life.
However, ceramic brake pads also have an obvious shortcoming, which is the high cost. Due to its complex production process and expensive raw material costs, the market price of ceramic brake pads is much higher than that of organic and semi-metallic brake pads, which makes many car owners with limited budgets stay away.
Brake pads of different materials are suitable for different types of vehicles and usage scenarios. Organic brake pads are suitable for daily urban commuting and small vehicles with a mild driving style; semi-metallic brake pads are more suitable for medium and large vehicles and vehicles that often drive on mountain roads and need frequent braking; while ceramic brake pads are the ideal choice for high-performance vehicles, luxury vehicles, and owners who have extremely high requirements for braking performance and comfort.
When choosing brake pads, car owners should consider various factors based on their vehicle type, driving habits and budget, and choose the brake pad material that best suits their vehicle to ensure driving safety and driving experience.
