Friction lining material

Claim 2

A friction material for use as a brake lining and the like comprising expanded vermiculite having an average minimum particle size of about 0.15 mm. and a thermosetting resin, said vermiculite and thermosetting resin being present in the friction material in a weight ratio of resin-to-vermiculite in a range from about 1.5/1 to 0.15/1, having no more than 15% of fibrous material either alone or in combination with acicular mineral particles.

Claim 3

A friction material as in claim 1, further comprising from 5% to 7.5% by weight of sisal.

Claim 4

A friction material as in claim 1, further comprising from 0% to 7.5% by weight of glass fibers.

Claim 5

A friction material as in claim 1, further comprising from 0% to 7.5% by weight of wollastonite.

Claim 6

A friction material as in claim 1, further comprising a total of from 5% to 15% by weight of sisal and glass fibers.

Claim 7

A friction material as in claim 1, further comprising a total of from 5% to 15% by weight of sisal and wollastonite.

Claim 8

A friction material as in claim 1 comprising 3% to 7.5% by weight of sisal and 5% to 30% by weight of wollastonite.

Claim 9

A friction material as in claim 1, further comprising from 6.75% to 18% by weight of graphite.

Claim 10

A friction material as in claim 2, further comprising from 0.7% to 2.0% by weight of chromite.

Claim 11

A brake lining material comprising: a. an expanded grade vermiculite having a three-dimensional accordian-like structure with a typical particle maximum diameter of 1 mm and length of 3 mm, said vermiculite being present in an amount of from 25% to 50% by weight of total composition; b. a thermosetting resin having heat-resistant properties sufficient to withstand temperatures of up to 1000° F., said resin being present in an amount of from 17% to 19% by weight of total composition; c. a non-asbestos fiber material, said fiber material imparting non-surface-cracking characteristics to said brake lining material, said fiber material being present in an amount not to exceed 15% by weight of total composition, said fiber material comprising: 1. at least 5% of sisal having a fiber length of about 1/4 inch and a cross-sectional area of 49×10 -6 square inch, and 2. 5% of a milled fiberglass having an average fiber length of 1/16 inch and a cross-sectional area of 7.8×10 -6 square inch; and d. a filler material at least partially comprising: 1. cashew-based friction particles, 2. brass chips having an average particle size of about 0.4 mm×3 mm, 3. chromite ore having the approximate composition of 40 wt% Cr 2 O 3 , 25 wt% Fe 2 O 3 , 15 wt% Al 2 O 3 , 14 wt% MgO, and 6 wt% SiO 2 , said chromite ore being present in an amount of from 1.4% to 2.0% by weight of total composition, and 4. powdered graphite, said graphite being present in an amount of from 6.75% to 13.5% by weight of total composition, said filler material comprising from 0% to 60% by weight of the total brake lining composition.

Claim 12

A brake lining material comprising: a. an expanded grade vermiculite having a three-dimensional accordian-like structure with a typical particle maximum diameter of 1 mm and length of 3 mm, said vermiculite being present in an amount of from 25% to 50% by weight of total composition; b. a thermosetting resin having heat-resistant properties sufficient to withstand temperatures of up to 1000° F., said resin being present in an amount of from 17% to 19% by weight of total composition; c. a non-asbestos fiber material, said fiber material imparting non-surface-cracking characteristics to said brake lining material, said fiber material being present in an amount not to exceed 15% by weight of total composition, said fiber material comprising: 1. at least 5% of sisal having a fiber length of about 1/4 inch and a cross-sectional area of 49×10 -6 square inch, and 2. 5% of a milled fiberglass having an average fiber length of 1/16 inch and a cross-sectional area of 7.8×10 -6 square inch; and d. a filler material at least partially comprising: 1. cashew-based friction particles, 2. brass chips having an average particle size of about 0.4 mm×3 mm, 3. chromite ore having the approximate composition of 40 wt% Cr 2 O 3 , 25 wt% Fe 2 O 3 , 15 wt% Al 2 O 3 , 14 wt% MgO, and 6 wt% SiO 2 , said chromite ore being present in an amount of from 1.4% to 2.0% by weight of total composition, and 4. powdered graphite, said graphite being present in an amount of from 6.75% to 13.5% by weight of total composition, said filler material comprising from 0% to 60% by weight of the total brake lining composition.

Claim 13

A brake lining material as in claiim 10 in which component (c) (2) consists of about 20% of an acicular mineral particle having an average length of 1/16 inch and a cross-sectional area of 7.8×10 -6 square inch.

Claim 14

A brake lining material as in claiim 10 in which component (c) (2) consists of about 20% of an acicular mineral particle having an average length of 1/16 inch and a cross-sectional area of 7.8×10 -6 square inch.

Claim 15

A brake lining material as in claim 11 in which the acicular mineral particles is wollastonite.

Claim 16

A brake lining material as in claim 12 in which the wollastonite is present in the amount of 5 to 30% by weight.

Claim 17

A friction material for use as a brake lining comprising; a. a thermosetting resin, b. a filler material, and c. a non-fibrous material selected from the group consisting of natural minerals, synthetic minerals and mineral-like materials, capable of being shaped in a three-dimensional form at ambient temperatures and at pressures of 1700 to 2600 p.s.i., and as so shaped having on compression a green strength in the order of 2 to 25 p.s.i., and d. a fiber material, said fiber material being present in an amount not to exceed 15% by weight of said friction material, and e. an acicular mineral particle, said acicular mineral particle being present in an amount not to exceed 30% by weight of said friction material.

Claim 18

A friction material for use as a brake lining comprising; a. a thermosetting resin, b. a filler material, and c. a non-fibrous material selected from the group consisting of natural minerals, synthetic minerals and mineral-like materials, capable of being shaped in a three-dimensional form at ambient temperatures and at pressures of 1700 to 2600 p.s.i., and as so shaped having on compression a green strength in the order of 2 to 25 p.s.i., and d. a fiber material, said fiber material being present in an amount not to exceed 15% by weight of said friction material, and e. an acicular mineral particle, said acicular mineral particle being present in an amount not to exceed 30% by weight of said friction material.

Claim 19

A friction material as in claim 14, wherein said non-fibrous material is expanded vermiculite.

Claim 20

A friction material for use as a brake lining and the like comprising expanded vermiculite having an average minimum particle size of about 0.15 mm. and a thermosetting resin, said vermiculite and thermosetting resin being present in the friction material in a weight ratio of resin-to-vermiculite in a range from about 1.5/1 to 0.15/1, having no more than 30% by weight of non-asbestos acicular mineral particles.

Claim 21

A friction material for use as a brake lining and the like comprising expanded vermiculite having an average minimum particle size of about 0.15 mm. and a thermosetting resin, said vermiculite and thermosetting resin being present in the friction material in a weight ratio of resin-to-vermiculite in a range from about 1.5/1 to 0.15/1, having no more than 30% by weight of non-asbestos acicular mineral particles.

Claim 22

A friction material as set forth in claim 16 wherein said acicular mineral particles have an average length of 1/16 inch and cross-sectional area of 7.8×10 -6 square inch.