Brake Friction Materials
NAO and low-steel brake-pad friction mixes, distinct from carbon-ceramic and carbon-carbon discs.
Overview
Brake friction materials are the composite pad and lining mixes that generate torque against a disc or drum — NAO (non-asbestos organic), low-steel and some sintered metallic families. They are a formulated composite of fibres, binders, abrasives, lubricants and fillers, not a single polymer or ceramic. Carbon-ceramic and carbon-carbon in the library are disc materials. Barite is only a filler. This page is the pad/lining product: copper-free NAO for volume passenger cars, low-steel for performance, and related drum-brake linings. Copper reduction and NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) dominate current OEM specifications. Typical processing is mix, pre-form, press and bake onto a steel backplate. The buyable item is the friction mix or finished pad, not the disc.
Automotive Applications
Similar Materials
Carbon-Carbon (C/C)
Carbon-Carbon Composite
Carbon-carbon composite used for Formula 1 and hypercar brake discs, distinct from C/SiC carbon-ceramic rotors.
Graphene-Enhanced Composites
Nano-Enhanced Composite
Advanced composite materials incorporating graphene nanoplatelets or graphene oxide to deliver exceptional improvements in strength, stiffness, thermal conductivity, and electrical performance at low addition rates.
Kevlar
Aramid Fiber
Aramid fiber with exceptional strength and heat resistance
Recycled Carbon Fibre
Recycled Carbon Fibre
Reclaimed carbon fibre recovered from manufacturing offcuts and end-of-life composites, offering a lower-cost, lower-carbon alternative to virgin fibre.
Properties
Category
Type
Friction Material
Available Forms
Key Properties
- NAO, low-steel and sintered families
- Composite mix not a single polymer
- Copper-free OEM formulations
- Distinct from C/SiC and C/C discs
- Pressed and baked on a backplate
- NVH and fade are specification drivers