Researchers at the Institute of Materials Processing could greatly improve
vehicle braking systems with a new, lightweight, low-cost brake rotor.

IMP has developed an aluminum brake rotor that retains the advantages of aluminum while overcoming its disadvantages. The new design could reduce the weight by as much as 50 percent. Plus it has great corrosion resistance, faster heat dissipation, better wear resistance, and higher strength and ductility than conventional, cast-iron brake rotors. The aluminum rotor could be cheaper to maintain, matches well with existing brake pads and has equivalent braking performance. Also, after the steel surface has been worn rough, it can be machined and the rotors used for several more years.

"The automobile industry is always looking for ways to reduce weight in passenger cars," said Xiaodi Huang, senior research scientist at IMP, "especially for the future with hybrid and fuel cell cars."

A car equipped with these new brake rotors would be 20 to 25 pounds lighter, resulting in faster acceleration, a shorter stopping distance, better fuel-efficiency and lower emissions. It could also save consumers three to eight gallons of gasoline per year.

"We hope we can commercialize our research and possibly help the economy," said Huang.

The steel-clad aluminum brake rotor, which has been four years in the making, consists of an aluminum alloy body and two steel surfaces that contact the pads during braking. This design was made possible by a new, cost-effective process that bonds steel to aluminum. The cost for producing the new aluminum and steel rotors is comparable to the cost of traditional steel rotors. A patent for this technology has been applied for.