Friction Linings for Aluminum Brake Disks

Abstract

Friction linings which contain more than 5 wt. % aluminum in the form of Al metal (powder) or of an Al alloy are suitable to ensure sufficiently high friction coefficients at little wear when combined with aluminum-containing brake disks or rotors.

Claims

1.-11. (canceled)

12. A motor vehicle brake system, comprising: a brake disk or brake rotor containing aluminum; and a friction lining used in conjunction with the brake disk or brake rotor, said friction lining containing more than 5% by weight of aluminum in the form of aluminum metal and/or in the form of an aluminum alloy.

13. The motor vehicle brake system of claim 12, wherein the friction lining contains 5% to 30% by weight of aluminum.

14. The motor vehicle brake system of claim 12, wherein the friction lining contains an aluminum alloy that comprises one or more of the following metals: Mg, Ti, Si, Ba, Sr, Ca, Be, Zr, Cr, Fe, Sn and Bi.

15. The motor vehicle brake system of claim 12, wherein the friction lining contains an aluminum alloy, and the aluminum alloy has the formula Al.sub.xZ.sub.y, wherein Z stands for Mg and/or Ti and/or Si, and x and y each mean ranges of 10% by weight up to and including 90% by weight as a component in the friction lining.

16. The motor vehicle brake system of claim 15, wherein the aluminum alloy is a binary Al—Mg alloy or an Al—Ti alloy.

17. The motor vehicle brake system of claim 16, wherein the binary aluminum alloy is AlTi.sub.10 or AlMg.sub.50.

18. The motor vehicle brake system of claim 15, wherein the aluminum alloy is a ternary or quaternary alloy which contains magnesium and/or titanium and/or silicon, and in which y stands for the sum of the portions of the component Z.

19. The motor vehicle brake system of claim 12, wherein the aluminum alloy in the friction lining is present and used in the form of particles.

20. The motor vehicle brake system of claim 19, wherein the particles have a size ranging from 100 μm to 700 μm.

21. The motor vehicle brake system of claim 12, wherein the brake disks or brake rotors contain 20% to 60% by volume of aluminum.

22. The motor vehicle brake system of claim 12, wherein the brake disks or brake rotors contain at least about 40% by volume of aluminum.

Description

EXAMPLE

[0032] A friction lining mixture according to the invention can have, for instance, the following composition:

TABLE-US-00001 raw materials % by weight aluminum-Mg/Ti alloy 10 to 20 (>5% by weight of aluminum) aluminum oxide 0.5 to 2 mica powder 5 to 8 baryte 5 to 30 iron oxide 5 to 15 tin sulfides 2 to 8 graphite 2 to 6 coke powder 10 to 20 aramide fiber 1 to 25 resin filler powder 2 to 6 binder resin 3 to 7

[0033] Moreover, aside from aluminum (as metal or in the form of an alloy), mixtures according to the invention can also contain, for example, steel/steel wool, copper and/or copper alloys.

[0034] Therefore, the present invention relates to the use of the aluminum alloys according to the invention and of aluminum metal for friction linings to be employed in combination with brake disks and rotors containing aluminum. It also relates to the use of such brake linings for the above-mentioned purpose, and to a brake system that comprises the friction linings or brake linings according to the invention as well as the above-mentioned brake disks or rotors.