Porous friction material comprising nanoparticles of friction modifying material

• US 7,749,562 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2008
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BorgWarner Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BorgWarner Incorporated
• Inventors: Chen, Yih-Fang, Maruo, Kenji, Lam, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PARKER, FREDERICK JOHN
• Application Number:
  US12/157,901
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 427/180, 427/201, 427/243
• US Class Current: 427/201
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2200/0069 being characterised by their size
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 69/026 containing fibres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249962 Void-containing component has a continuous matrix of fibers only [e.g., porous paper, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249964 Fibers of defined composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249978 Voids specified as micro
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249979 Specified thickness of void-containing component [absolute or relative] or numerical cell dimension
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249981 Plural void-containing components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249986 Void-containing component contains also a solid fiber or solid particle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/20 Coated or impregnated woven, knit, or nonwoven fabric which is not [a] associated with another preformed layer or fiber layer or, [b] with respect to woven and knit, characterized, respectively, by a particular or differential weave or knit, wherein the coating or impregnation is neither a foamed material nor a free metal or alloy layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2033 Coating or impregnation formed in situ [e.g., by interfacial condensation, coagulation, precipitation, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2344 Coating or impregnation is anti-slip or friction-increasing other than specified as an abrasive

Abstract

A method of making a friction material which includes a porous base material, at least one type of resin material, and at least one type of nanoparticle-sized friction modifying particle, is disclosed. The resin material and the nanoparticle-sized friction modifying particles are substantially uniformly dispensed throughout the base material.

Claims

1. A method for producing a frictional material comprising:

providing a porous base material comprising fibers and fillers, the fibers comprising less fibrillated aramid fibers and carbon fibers, and wherein the fibers constitute about 70 to about 85 weight percent of the porous base material;

saturating the porous base material with a saturant comprising at least one resin material and nanoparticle-sized friction modifying particles such that a plurality of the nanoparticle-sized friction modifying particles are deposited on the fibers and fillers of the porous base material to an average thickness of up to about 200 μ

m, the nanoparticle-sized friction modifying particles having an average diameter size from about 10 nm to about 150 nm; and

curing the saturant at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the less fibrillated aramid fibers have a length ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm and a Canadian Standard Freeness of greater than about 300.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the fibers further comprise cotton fibers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticle-sized friction modifying particles comprise at least one of a silica oxide, an iron oxide, an aluminum oxide, a titanium oxide, a silica nitride, an iron nitride, an aluminum nitride, a titanium nitride, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the resin material comprises at least one of a phenolic resin, a modified phenolic-based resin, a silicone resin, a modified silicon-based resin, an epoxy resin, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the resin material comprises a silicon resin and a phenolic resin mixed together in compatible solvents.

7. A method for producing a friction material comprising:

preparing a saturant material comprising a mixture of at least one curable resin material and nanoparticle-sized friction modifying particles, the curable resin material comprising a silicon resin and a phenolic resin mixed together in compatible solvents, the nanoparticle-sized friction modifying particles having an average diameter size from about 10 nm to about 150 nm;

preparing a porous base material comprising fibers and having a plurality of interstices dispersed therethrough; and

saturating the porous base material with the saturant material whereby a plurality of the nanoparticle-sized friction modifying particles are deposited on the fibers of the porous base material and whereby the resin material and the nanoparticle-sized friction modifying particles are substantially evenly dispersed throughout the porous base material.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the fibers of the porous base material comprise less fibrillated aramid fibers having a length ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm and a Canadian Standard Freeness of greater than about 300.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the fibers of the porous base material further comprise carbon fibers and cotton fibers.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the porous base material further comprises fillers, and wherein the fibers of the porous base material constitute about 75 to about 85 weight percent of the porous base material.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the nanoparticle-sized friction modifying particles comprise at least one of a silica oxide, an iron oxide, an aluminum oxide, a titanium oxide, a silica nitride, an iron nitride, an aluminum nitride, a titanium nitride, or combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the curable resin material comprises about 5 to about 80 percent silicon resin based on the weight of the phenolic and silicon resins.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the curable resin material comprises about 15 to about 55 percent silicon resin based on the weight of the phenolic and silicon resins.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the curable resin material comprises about 15 to about 25 percent silicon resin based on the weight of the phenolic and silicon resins.