Friction Lining, Process for Its Manufacture and Its Use

Abstract

Aluminum alloys, in particular Al magnesium or Al titanium alloys, are suitable as corrosion protection media in friction linings for automotive brakes and couplings, and serve as a replacement for zinc metal or zinc compounds in such linings.

Claims

1. A method for making a zinc-free friction lining for a motor vehicle braking system, comprising: replacing zinc metal, zinc alloys and zinc compounds of a friction lining mixture with an aluminum alloy; and forming the friction lining for a brake pad that is free of zinc metal, zinc alloys and zinc compounds with the friction lining mixture, wherein said friction lining has a negative redox potential (E.sub.0 in mV) between that of a friction lining that incorporates a zinc metal and that of a friction lining that incorporates a zinc alloy AlZn.sub.5.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the zinc metal and/or zinc alloy is/are replaced with the aluminum alloy in a 1:1 ratio with respect to the respective weight percentage of the friction lining.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said aluminum alloy comprises aluminum alloyed with one or more of the following metals selected from the group consisting of: magnesium (Mg), titanium (Ti), silicon (Si), barium (Ba), strontium (Sr), calcium (Ca), beryllium (Be), zirconium (Zr), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), tin (Sn), and bismuth (Bi).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the aluminum alloy is present in an amount from 0.5% by weight to 25% by weight of the friction lining mixture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the aluminum alloy is homogeneously dispersed throughout said friction lining mixture in particle form with a particle size in the range of from 100 μm to 700 μm.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the aluminum alloy particles are spherical.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the friction lining mixture comprises one or more tin sulfides in an amount from 0.5% by weight to 10% by weight of the friction lining mixture.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the aluminum alloy is a binary Al—Mg alloy or an Al—Ti alloy.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the aluminum alloy is a ternary or quaternary alloy containing magnesium (Mg) and/or titanium (Ti) and/or silicon.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the aluminum alloy is AlTi.sub.10 or AlMg.sub.50.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrosion resistance (ohm-cm) of the friction lining is between that of a friction lining that incorporates a zinc metal and that of a friction lining that incorporates a zinc alloy AlZn.sub.5.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal brake component comprises a friction partner contacting the brake pad friction lining of a motor vehicle upon brake activation.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the friction partner comprises iron and/or steel.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] To determine the suitability of a Zn-free alloy as a corrosion protection in otherwise typical or customary friction linings (with respect to the qualitative and quantitative composition), various alloys are mixed into a typical friction mixture containing no zinc or containing a zinc alloy and then pressed into friction linings or test specimens. The corresponding Zn powder-containing and AlZn.sub.5-containing friction linings are then used as reference mixtures.

[0020] The tests used within the scope of the present invention are preferably: [0021] 1. Storage of the friction linings or sample specimens for 14 days at room temperature in a 5% by weight NaCl solution, [0022] 2. Voltammetry test: Determination of the redox potential/redox voltage E.sup.o according to DIN38404-6, and [0023] 3. Galvanometry test: Determination of the electrical load density.

[0024] These tests are known to a person skilled in the art and are described, for example, in DIN Standard 50918 Corrosion of Metals.

[0025] The evaluation of the first test occurs visually, gravimetrically, and by a dimensioning of the test specimen. It is checked (visually) whether rust formation is detectable on the test specimens, and a color determination is also performed for the NaCl solution. In the voltammetry test, it is determined whether the friction lining according to the invention has at least one negative redox potential (E.sub.o) between a Zn-containing and AlZn.sub.5-containing reference mixture. For the determination of the load density (galvanometry test), a value should be achieved that is at least exactly as high as the Zn-containing reference mixture. In the tests described, the share of Zn metal or Zn alloy in the reference mixtures corresponds to the share of non-Zn-containing alloys in the mixtures according to the invention (expressed in each case as % by weight of the finished friction lining).

[0026] Aluminum alloys with magnesium (Mg) or titanium (Ti) have proven to be particularly suitable for solving the present objective. Other alloy partners, such as silicon (Si), are basically suitable. These can be binary, ternary, or quaternary alloy systems, of which the binary aluminum alloys are particularly preferred. These binary systems of the type Al.sub.xZ.sub.y (with Z preferably equal to Mg and Ti and x=10-90% by weight and y=10-90% by weight) have proven to be particularly suitable with respect to electrode or redox potential (=reactivity), shape stability, and load density. Alloys such as AlTi.sub.10 and AlMg.sub.50 are mentioned here, in particular.

[0027] The alloys according to the invention contain one or more of the following metals Mg, Ti, Si, Ba, Sr, Ca, Be, Zr, Cr, Fe, Sn, Bi, and aluminum. The friction lining mixtures according to the invention can also contain powder of a metal mixture from the specified components. The alloys are produced by melting and homogenizing the components into a finely dispersed system. A variety of such alloys are commercially available.

[0028] The share of alloys according to the invention in the friction lining mixture or the finished friction lining can be preferably between 0.5-15% by weight. These alloys can be used in all customary friction linings in which Zn or Zn alloys are used according to the prior art. A special adjustment of the remaining components of the friction lining to the alloys described here is therefore not required. In the mixtures of the prior art, only the Zn or Zn alloy components are preferably replaced by the alloys according to the invention. As a rule, the replacement can also occur 1:1 with respect to the respective weight percentage of the friction lining, or with small deviations.

[0029] The provision of a metal that is less precious relative to iron or steel in the friction material mixture prevents the rusting of the friction partner made of steel or iron. The aluminum alloy components in the friction lining form a sacrificial anode, so that a rusting and, in particular, a corroding of the friction partner on the friction lining can be reliably avoided. It is advantageous that the sacrificial anode can always be renewed with the wearing of the friction lining.

[0030] The effectiveness of corrosion-inhibiting particles depends on whether their distribution takes place evenly over the cross section of the friction linings. This is achieved in a particularly convenient manner with an alloy according to the invention, which is preferably added in powder form.

[0031] An additional advantage can be achieved with the alloys according to the invention if they are introduced into the friction lining in powder form. The addition in powder form reduces the adhesion of iron and steel parts to the friction linings of brakes and couplings that occurs under certain ambient conditions and thus reduces the so-called “bonding corrosion.”

[0032] The alloys according to the invention are preferably introduced into the friction material mixture in particle form. As a lubricant, tin sulfides with a weight percentage between approx. 0.5 to 10% by weight, preferably approx. 2 to 8% by weight, can be contained.

[0033] To produce the friction lining, it is provided that the aluminum alloys, preferably present in strand or block form, are first rinsed and then sprayed in order to produce essentially spherical particles. These particles are then mixed with a typical friction material mixture and pressed into a friction lining at known temperatures and pressures.

[0034] However, powder particles can also be formed directly from the melting of the alloy, e.g., by spraying or spinning over the edge of a rotating disc. The particle size of the alloys according to the invention is preferably in the range of 100 μm and 700 μm. Aluminum alloys with other metals, such as Al/Mg alloys, are also commercially available in particle form.

[0035] As fillers for friction linings according to the invention, metal oxides, metal silicates, and/or metal sulfates can be contained individually or in combination with other fillers. The fibrous substances preferably consist of aramid fibers and/or other organic or inorganic fibers. Other than the aluminum alloy, steel wool and/or copper wool can be contained as metals, for example.

[0036] Tin sulfides with a weight percentage of 0.5 to 10% by weight, preferably 2 to 8% by weight, are preferably used as lubricants. For example, the tin sulfides can be attached as a powder of the friction lining mixture.

[0037] The alloys according to the invention can be used in any friction lining mixture, in principle. The production of the friction linings according to the invention can occur according to conventional methods as well as those known from the prior art, i.e., by mixing all starting components and pressing the friction lining mixture obtained in this way at increased pressure and increased temperature. In the typical application, the Al alloy serving as the corrosion protection is placed as a powder into a mixer along with the remaining mixture components, whereby the alloy particles are homogeneously distributed in the friction material during the mixing process. This further means that, when using a corresponding brake pad, new corrosion protection material is constantly reaching the friction lining surface due to the friction process. As a result, uniform or constant conditions always prevail on the surface of the friction lining during the application cycle.

EXAMPLE

[0038] A friction material mixture according to the invention can, for example, be composed as follows, wherein all weight % information is based upon the finished friction material mixture from which the actual friction lining is produced:

TABLE-US-00001 Raw materials % by weight Steel wool 15-25 Copper and/or copper alloys  3-20 Aluminum Mg/Ti alloy 0.5-15  Aluminum oxide 0.5-2   Mica powder 5-8 Baryte  5-15 Iron oxide  5-15 Tin sulfides 2-8 Graphite 2-6 Coke powder 10-20 Aramid fiber 1-2 Resin filler powder 2-6 Binding resin 3-7

[0039] The present invention thus relates to the use of the Al alloys according to the invention as a corrosion protection (medium) and/or as a replacement for zinc metal and/or zinc compounds in friction linings and corresponding friction lining mixtures. Furthermore, these friction linings and friction lining mixtures include brake pads and couplings having compositions or friction linings according to the invention, as well as methods for producing the materials named.

[0040] Additional objectives, advantages, features and application possibilities of the present invention can be gleaned from the description herein of embodiments. In this context, all of the described features, either on their own or in any meaningful combination, constitute the subject matter of the present invention, also irrespective of their compilation in the claims or in the claims to which they refer back.