In the manufacturing of brake shoes, wollastonite has emerged as a notable component within brake shoes mixtures and mixes, playing a crucial role in brake shoes friction materials. This article aims to comprehensively introduce the application of wollastonite in brake shoes production, with a particular focus on highlighting its advantages and disadvantages while presenting technical parameters supported by specific data.

Wollastonite significantly contributes to maintaining a stable friction coefficient in brake shoes. When incorporated into the brake shoes friction materials, it ensures a more uniform braking force. For instance, in friction – coefficient – testing scenarios, brake shoes with 12% wollastonite in the mixture demonstrated a coefficient of friction that fluctuated within a narrow range of 0.38 – 0.42 during repeated braking cycles at varying speeds from 30 km/h to 120 km/h. This stability is vital for ensuring safe and reliable braking performance in different driving conditions.

One of the remarkable properties of wollastonite is its excellent high – temperature resistance. Brake shoes containing wollastonite can endure temperatures up to 1100°C without substantial degradation. In high – temperature braking experiments, when the brake shoes were subjected to continuous braking that raised the temperature of the friction materials to 900°C, the wollastonite – based brake shoes maintained their structural integrity and braking efficiency. The friction coefficient only decreased by 5% compared to normal – temperature braking, indicating its ability to perform well under extreme heat.

Wollastonite effectively improves the wear – resistance of brake shoes. In long – term durability tests, brake shoes with wollastonite – enhanced friction materials showed a wear rate of 0.09 – 0.13 mm per 10,000 braking cycles. In contrast, those without wollastonite had a wear rate of 0.2 – 0.23 mm per 10,000 cycles. This reduction in wear not only extends the service life of the brake shoes but also reduces the frequency of replacements, resulting in cost savings for both manufacturers and end – users.

Wollastonite is relatively affordable, making it an attractive option for brake shoe manufacturers. Incorporating wollastonite into brake shoes mixtures can lead to a 12 – 18% reduction in material costs. This cost – effectiveness allows manufacturers to produce high – quality brake shoes at a more competitive price, which is beneficial for both market penetration and customer satisfaction.

Despite its advantages, wollastonite has relatively low mechanical strength, especially under high – stress conditions. In high – pressure braking simulations, brake shoes with a high proportion (25%) of wollastonite in the friction materials were 30% more likely to develop cracks compared to those with a lower proportion. This fragility can limit the application of wollastonite – based brake shoes in heavy – duty vehicles or high – performance braking systems that require extreme mechanical resilience.

Wollastonite can be chemically reactive in certain environments. In the presence of specific chemicals in the brake fluid, such as some oxidizing agents, wollastonite in the brake shoes friction materials may experience chemical reactions. In a laboratory – simulated chemical – exposure test, after 4 months of exposure to a brake – fluid environment with a certain concentration of oxidizing agents, the braking performance of wollastonite – containing brake shoes decreased by 20% due to the degradation of wollastonite. This chemical sensitivity requires careful consideration when formulating brake shoes for different operating environments.

In conclusion, wollastonite offers significant advantages in terms of friction consistency, high – temperature resistance, wear – resistance, and cost – efficiency in brake shoes production. However, its fragility under high stress and chemical sensitivity pose challenges that need to be overcome through advanced material engineering and proper selection of complementary materials.