Current Research Trends and Innovations on Asbestos Free Brake Pad Materials in Automotive Vehicle Applications

In present scenario the proliferation of the vehicles, the traffic conditions are worse in nook and corner of every city. This extreme traffic condition forces the driver to act in an engrossed manner. To ensure the safety of the pedestrians, passengers and goods, it is responsible for the brake manufacturers to produce the good quality brake pads. In earlier days asbestos fibre was used to manufacture these brake pads. But this fibre showed an adverse effect on human health likely respiratory problem, lung disorder and carcinogenic diseases. The composite material brake pads showed a good wear resistance than the regular asbestos fibre. This blemish in the asbestos fibre made researchers attract towards the composite brake pads as an alternative. Quite a large number of researches were made on the manufacturing of brake pads by using composite materials. This paper minutia the innovative trends in the materials used for the manufacture of brake pads. So, by implementing these researches, the manufacturers can guarantee their safety in the industry and the lifespan of the brake pads can be increased. (paper)