Vehicle braking components including an adhesion layer

A vehicle braking component having a composite structure, the vehicle braking component comprising:

• a brake core comprising an aluminum alloy, the brake core defining a core surface;
• a thermal barrier layer comprising a thermally insulating material, wherein the thermally insulating material comprises a high entropy ceramic including at least four elements each present in a concentration between 5% and 35% on an atomic basis;
• an adhesion layer between the core surface and the thermal barrier layer to facilitate adhesion between the thermal barrier layer and the brake core, the adhesion layer comprising a metal;
• and
• a wear-resistant layer on the thermal barrier layer, the wear-resistance layer comprising an iron-aluminum-silicon-zirconium alloy and defining a friction surface of the vehicle braking component, wherein,
• a wettability value of the metal of the adhesion layer is greater than a wettability value of the high entropy ceramic, and
• a contact angle of the metal of the adhesion layer is greater than a contact angle of the high entropy ceramic.

A method of manufacturing a brake rotor or brake drum having a composite structure, the method comprising:

• casting an aluminum alloy to form a core of the brake rotor or brake drum, the core defining a core surface;
• depositing a metal on the core surface to form an adhesion layer;
• depositing a high entropy alloy or yttrium stabilized zirconia on the adhesion layer using an atomic layer deposition process, to form a thermal barrier layer on the core surface, wherein the high entropy alloy includes at least four elements each present in a concentration between 5% and 35% on an atomic basis;
• and
• depositing an iron-aluminum-silicon-zirconium alloy on the thermal barrier layer using a directed energy deposition process, to form a wear-resistant layer on the thermal barrier layer, the wear-resistant layer defining a friction surface of the brake rotor or brake drum.