Friction Materials Buyer's Guide: Compare Asbestos, Ceramic & NAO for Industrial Applications

Update time : 2025-06-20 22:33:00

I. Friction Materials: Core Components for Industrial Safety

Friction materials are the core functional components of mechanical transmission and braking systems, and are widely used in automobiles, aerospace, and construction machinery. According to the international standard ISO 6314, when the dry friction coefficient of the material and metal dyad is > 0.2, it is defined as friction material. Its performance is directly related to the safety and service life of the equipment, and the global market size is expected to exceed USD XX billion in 2025 (Source: Grand View Research).

II.Key Classification and Technology Comparison

1. Classification by Friction Characteristics

Type	Friction Coefficient	Typical Applications
High Friction Materials (Friction Materials)	0.3-0.6	Brake Pads, Clutch Pads
Low Friction Materials (Friction Reducing Materials)	<0.2	Bearing, Lubrication Components biancheng

Classification by Function and Shape

Transmission: Clutch Pads (Circumferential), Profiled Friction Pads (Specialized for Construction Machinery)
Braking: disk/drum brake pads (for cars), brake shoes (for trains, thickness 25-30mm), brake bands (for agricultural machinery)

3. Classification by materials

(1) Traditional asbestos materials

Advantages: low cost, good processability
Disadvantages: carcinogenicity (banned in 90% of countries worldwide)
Residual applications: old machinery in some developing countries

(2) Asbestos-free alternatives

Type	Core	Composition Advantages	Limitations	Applicable Scenarios
Semi-metallic	30-50% steel fibers	High temperature resistance,fast thermal conductivity	High noise	Heavy-duty automobile brake pads
NAO	mixed inorganic fibers	Low noise, environmentally friendly	Higher cost	Medium- and high-end automobiles
powder metallurgy	Iron/copper based sintering	long life	expensive	Aircraft, mining machinery
carbon fiber	Carbon-Carbon Composites	Lightweight and resistant to extreme temperatures	Highest cost	Fighter jets, F1 cars

Semi-metallic:

NAO:

powder metallurgy:

carbon fiber:

(3) Cutting-edge ceramic materials

Technology highlights: nano-ceramic particles reinforcement, friction coefficient stabilized at 0.4-0.5
Representative applications: high-speed rail brake discs, electric sports car high-performance brake pads

III.Selection Decision Tree: Matching Your Industrial Needs

1.Budget Priority → Semi-metallic Materials (Cost-Effective Choice)

2.Environmental compliance → NAO materials (through the European Union REACH certification)

3.Extreme working conditions → carbon fiber / ceramic materials (temperature > 800 ℃)

4.Aftermarket → customized formulations (support OEM parameter adjustment)

IV. Global Sourcing Guide

European and American Markets: Mainly NAO/Ceramic Materials (ECE R90 compliant)
Emerging markets: semi-metallic materials (adapted to high temperature and high humidity environments)
Wind power / mining industry: powder metallurgy program (life>50,000 hours)

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