Ceramic Pedro P. Bonilla, Tech Editor
We’ve all heard about ceramic brakes, but what exactly are they and why are they so expensive? Are they really worth the price? Are they really that much better? We’ll try to answer each one of these questions that people always wonder about.
They are more expensive than the metallic or asbestos-type pads and much less conductive than metallic pads, allowing for heat to be transferred into the rest of the braking system. Ceramic pads are not recommended for extreme cold weather and they’re intended to be used with standard cast iron rotors.
Generally when people talk about ceramic brakes they are referring to ceramic brake pads. I make the notation because there are also ceramic rotors (discs), both of which we’ll look at in detail.
Ceramic discs
Ceramic Brake Pads
Ceramic brake pads are manufactured from material very similar to that used when making pottery and plates. The material used for the brakes is much denser and durable, and it also incorporates fine copper fibers mixed in with the material. These fibers help to increase friction (better braking) and also increase heat conductivity (cooler brakes). Ceramic brake pads were developed in the 1980s and have been increasing in popularity ever since their introduction. Compared to standard brake pads, ceramic pads are much quieter, giving off very little sound when the brakes are applied. They are also quite clean, meaning that there is much less brake dust, and they also work better in a wider range of climatic conditions than standard pads.
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Die Porsche Kassette
| Mar 2022
Carbon-ceramic brake discs appeared in sports cars in 2001, developed by Brembo for supercars such as the Ferrari Enzo and the Porsche Carrera GT. These rotors are made from a special mixture of powders, fibers, and resins in a very complex manufacturing process. This process, developed in the 1970s for very special applications, had been used since the 1980s in braking systems for the aerospace industry (such as on the Space Shuttle). Carbon ceramic offers substantial benefits in terms of performance in all types of conditions, weight reduction, comfort, corrosion resistance, durability and appearance.
