Garnet Powder, a mineral – based powder with a complex composition of silicate minerals, has made its way into the production of brake shoes. When integrated into brake shoes mixtures and mixes, it significantly impacts the performance of brake shoes friction materials. Here, we will explore its technical parameters, advantages, and disadvantages.

Garnet is quite hard, with a Mohs hardness rating typically between 6.5 – 7.5. This high hardness is a key factor in enhancing the wear – resistance of brake shoes. In a wear – test over 80,000 braking cycles, brake shoes with 15% garnet powder by volume exhibited a wear depth of only 1 – 1.5 mm, while those without garnet powder had a wear depth of 2.5 – 3.5 mm.

Garnet powder can withstand high temperatures up to around 1200 – 1300°C before significant degradation. During the braking process, when the friction surface of the brake shoes can reach high temperatures, this thermal stability helps maintain the integrity of the friction material. For example, in a high – speed braking experiment where the temperature at the friction surface without garnet powder reached 800°C, the addition of garnet powder reduced the rate of material degradation by 30 – 40%.

The density of garnet powder is approximately 3.5 – 4.3 g/cm³. This relatively high density contributes to the mass of the brake shoes, which can influence the inertia during braking. However, when properly balanced in the mixture, it can enhance the overall braking force.

Thanks to its high hardness, garnet powder greatly improves the wear resistance of brake shoes. Brake shoes with garnet powder can last 2 – 2.5 times longer than those without it in long – term use. This not only reduces the frequency of brake shoe replacement but also improves the safety and reliability of the braking system.

The high thermal stability of garnet powder enables the brake shoes to better endure high – temperature environments during braking. In high – speed braking tests, brake shoes with garnet powder showed a 25% reduction in heat – induced deformation compared to those without it. This helps prevent brake fade, ensuring consistent braking performance.

Garnet powder is chemically inert in most common environments. It does not react with other components in the brake shoes mixture, ensuring the long – term stability of the friction material’s performance. This chemical stability makes the brake shoes more reliable in different weather and road conditions.

Garnet is somewhat brittle, which can be a drawback in brake shoes. Under sudden and extreme mechanical stress during braking, the garnet particles in the brake shoes may break. This can lead to uneven wear of the brake shoes and potentially affect the braking performance. For example, in emergency braking situations, the brittleness of garnet may cause small cracks to form in the friction material, reducing its effectiveness.

In regions where garnet resources are scarce, the cost of obtaining garnet powder can be relatively high. The transportation and import costs may increase the overall production cost of brake shoes by 40 – 60% compared to using more locally – sourced materials. This cost factor may limit the widespread use of garnet – powder – based brake shoes in these areas.

Due to its irregular particle shape and high hardness, garnet powder is difficult to disperse uniformly in the brake shoes mixture. Uneven dispersion can result in inconsistent performance of the brake shoes. Some areas may have excessive wear resistance but poor heat dissipation, while others may have the opposite problem.

In summary, garnet powder offers remarkable wear resistance, heat resistance, and chemical stability in brake shoes production. However, its brittleness, high cost in certain regions, and difficulties in uniform dispersion pose challenges. Brake shoe manufacturers need to carefully evaluate these factors based on the specific requirements of their products and the market they target.