Composite friction materials having carbon nanotube and carbon nanofiber friction enhancers
AssigneesBoard of Trustees at Southern Illinois University, Tribco Inc.
InventorsPeter Filip, David N. Bortz, Brian Howells, Ashley R. Kelm, Tod Policandriotes
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Abstract
A textile-reinforced composite friction material is provided by the present invention that includes a nonwoven needlepunched fiber mat, a resin matrix impregnated within and onto the fiber mat, and a carbon nanomaterial dispersed within the resin matrix. The carbon nanomaterial is preferably carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers.
Claims17
A composite friction material for use in friction applications comprising a nonwoven needlepunched fiber mat;
- a resin matrix impregnated in the fiber mat;
- and carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers dispersed on and within the resin matrix and fiber mat, comprising between approximately 0.0197 and approximately 0.080 by volume fraction of the composite material in an amount effective to improve the friction properties of the composite relative to the same composite without the carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers, the composite prepared by the process of dispersing carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers into a liquid resin to effect a homogeneous dispersion of separated particles of carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers, and thereafter saturating the mat with the homogeneous dispersion of separated particles of carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers and curing the resin to form the composite.
A composite friction material comprising:
- a carded and needlepunched fiber mat is selected from a group comprising aramid, glass, ceramic, polyacrylonitrile and staple carbon or staple graphite fibers;
- a resin matrix impregnated within the fiber mat;
- and carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers dispersed within the resin matrix and comprising between approximately 0.0197 and approximately 0.080 by volume fraction of the composite material providing a proportion of carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers at the composite surface in an amount effective to improve the friction properties of the composite relative to the same composite without the carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers, the composite prepared by the process of dispersing carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers into a liquid resin to effect a homogeneous dispersion of separated particles of carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers, and thereafter saturating the mat with the homogeneous dispersion of separated particles of carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers and curing the resin to form the composite.
A composite friction material comprising:
- a nonwoven needlepunched fiber mat;
- a resin matrix impregnated in the needlepunched fiber mat;
- and carbon nanotubes and and/or carbon nanofibers dispersed on and within the resin matrix and fiber mat in an amount between approximately 0.0197 and approximately 0.080 by volume fraction of the composite friction material effective to increase the dynamic co-efficient of friction and to reduce the fade of the composite friction material the composite prepared by the process of dispersing carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers into a liquid resin to effect a homogeneous dispersion of separated particles of carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers, and thereafter saturating the mat with the homogeneous dispersion of separated particles of carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers and curing the resin to form the composite.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.