Worldworld Ceramic Brake Pads-Aerospace Technology Application

Ward Brothers Ceramic Brake Pads

Frictional heat generation is terrible for a space shuttle returning to the atmosphere at a speed of 25,000 kilometers per hour. Friction with denser air, the temperature of the space shuttle's belly will soon reach 1650°C. In order to protect this critical part, space scientists covered it with a ceramic heat shield made of silicon carbide.

The incomparable characteristics of silicon carbide have attracted the attention of engineers, so it is also used in the improvement of automobile braking devices. Ordinary brake pads are curved metal pieces on fixed tires, which are very easy to generate heat and wear, and will be scrapped over time. Ceramic brake pads are resistant to wear and rust, and are 60% lighter than steel.

Ward uses aerospace ceramics for civil brake pads. The German Aerospace Agency’s Stuttgart Research Center recently plans to use an aerospace ceramic material for the production of civil brake pads. This carbon/carbon-silicon carbide composite material can withstand high temperatures above 2000C and has high strength. It is very suitable for aerospace heat protection systems, such as the cone of the space shuttle head or the heat-resistant structure of the future space shuttle. This ceramic material has been used in Russian and American spacecraft for re-entry into the atmosphere. It can withstand high temperatures of up to 2700"C. The composite material also has good abrasion resistance and light weight. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration plans to use it to manufacture brake pads for high-speed trains, airplanes and racing cars. The German Federal Ministry of Science and Technology has supported this project. , First used in a new generation of intercity trains. The weight of ceramic brake pads is only 1/4 of that of steel brake pads. With ceramic composite materials, the weight of each carriage can be reduced by 24 tons, and the train can travel at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour. Emergency braking, and steel brake pads are difficult to ensure the safety of the train in this case.