Friction materials for brake pads based on binding compositions and related brake pads

1. A friction material for brake pads which comprises:

i) a multicomponent braking blend comprising a metal and

ii) a composition or binder matrix based on a hydraulic binder, comprising

a) a hydraulic binder consisting of a cement clinker, composed of at least two thirds in mass of calcium silicates [3CaO.SiO 2 ] and [2CaO.SiO 2 ], and a remaining part consisting of Al 2 O 3 , Fe 2 O 3 and/or other minor oxides;

b) an activator selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium silicate, and combinations thereof;

c) one or more materials having a pozzolanic activity, one or more materials having a latent hydraulic activity, and/or mixtures of the same;

said composition or binder matrix adapted to be hardened by a hydration reaction with water; wherein the hydraulic binder a) is a Portland cement clinker of type I, a blast-furnace cement of type III, a pozzolana cement of type IV and mixtures thereof.

2. The friction material according to claim 1 , wherein the binder composition ii) based on a hydraulic binder is present in a quantity ranging from 3 to 60% by weight with respect to the total weight of a mixture forming the friction material.

3. The friction material according to claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic binder a) is present in a quantity ranging from 0.5 to 95% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the binder composition ii), the activator b) is present in a quantity ranging from 0.5 to 50% by weight with respect to the total weight of the binder composition ii), the materials with a pozzolanic activity and/or latent hydraulic activity c) are present in a quantity ranging from 0.5 to 95% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the binder composition ii), optional aggregates are present in a quantity ranging from 0 to 20% by weight with respect to the total weight of the binder composition ii), and optional additives in a quantity ranging from 0 to 5% by weight with respect to the total weight of the binder composition ii).

4. The friction material according to claim 1 , further comprising water in a quantity ranging from 25 to 150% by weight with respect to the total weight of the binder composition based on the hydraulic binder ii).

5. The friction material according to claim 1 , wherein the multicomponent braking blend i) is present in a quantity ranging from 30 to 97% by weight with respect to the total weight of a mixture forming the friction material.

6. The friction material according to claim 1 , wherein the multicomponent braking blend i) comprises at least one lubricant in a quantity ranging from 5 to 15% by weight, at least one abrasive in a quantity ranging from 8 to 25% by weight, at least one component containing carbon in a quantity ranging from 8 to 25% by weight, at least one modifier in a quantity ranging from 15 to 30% by weight, all the quantities being calculated with respect to the total weight of the multicomponent braking blend i).

7. The friction material according to claim 1 , wherein the friction material consists of ii) a binder composition based on a) Portland cement of type I 52.5, with a fineness of 6,500 cm 2 /g, b) potassium silicate and potassium hydroxide, c) slag with a fineness of 6,500 cm 2 /g and metakaolin, and water, and the multicomponent braking blend i) comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of aluminium oxides, steel fibres, chromite, tin and molybdenum sulfides, graphite, coke, metal powders, barite, and combinations thereof.

8. The friction material according to claim 1 , wherein component b) of the binder composition ii) is selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, potassium oxide, potassium hydroxide, silicates, and combinations thereof.

9. The friction material according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more materials having a pozzolanic activity comprises one or more of microsilica, fly ash, pozzolan, silica fume, and metakaolin.

10. The friction material according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more materials having a latent hydraulic activity comprises one or more of blast furnace slag, hydrated calcium, and natural limestone.

11. The friction material according to claim 2 , wherein the binder composition ii) based on a hydraulic binder is present in a quantity ranging from 5 to 52% by weight with respect to the total weight of the mixture forming the friction material.

12. The friction material according to claim 3 , wherein the hydraulic binder a) is present in a quantity ranging from 10 to 93% by weight.

13. The friction material according to claim 3 , wherein the materials with a pozzolanic activity and/or latent hydraulic activity c) are present in a quantity ranging from 10 to 93% by weight with respect to the total weight of the binder composition.

14. The friction material according to claim 4 , comprising water in a quantity ranging from 50 to 150% by weight with respect to the total weight of the binder composition based on the hydraulic binder ii).

15. The friction material according to claim 5 , wherein the multicomponent braking blend i) is present in a quantity ranging from 50 to 95% by weight with respect to the total weight of the mixture forming the friction material.

16. Brake pads consisting of a friction material according to claim 1 and a metallic support base.

17. A method of braking comprising forcing a friction material comprising a binder composition comprising a hydraulic binder and a multicomponent braking blend according to claim 1 , against a moving component for braking pads.