Abstract: A brake unit includes a brake disc of a ceramic material and a brake pad that cooperates with it in tribological fashion. The brake pad is made of a sintered metal material or of an inorganically bound material having a ceramic binding phase and metal particles. The brake unit has a high thermal loading capacity, very good performance characteristics in terms of comfort, and an acceptable service life.

Abstract: The invention provides a fiber-reinforced composite ceramic containing high-temperature-resistant fibers, in particular fibres based on Si/C/B/N, which are reaction-bonded to a matrix based on Si, which is produced by impregnating fiber bundles of Si/C/B/N fibers with a binder suitable for pyrolysis and solidifying the binder, if desired subsequently conditioning the fiber bundles with an antisilicization layer suitable for pyrolysis, for example phenolic resin or polycarbosilane, subsequently preparing a mixture of fiber bundles, fillers such as SiC and carbon in the form of graphite or carbon black and binders, pressing the mixture to produce a green body and subsequently pyrolysing the latter under reduced pressure or protective gas to produce a porous shaped body which is then infiltrated, preferably under reduced pressure, with a silicon melt.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a brake lining made of a fiber-reinforced ceramic C/SiC material includes (1) producing a carbon fiber body having at least one of a defined volume of pores and capillaries; (2) infiltrating the carbon fiber body with at least one of carbon or a carbon precursor; (3) pressing the infiltrated carbon fiber body, thereby forming a green compact; (4) pyrolyzing the green compact, thereby forming a porous C/C body; (5) adjusting at least one of a pore and a capillary volume of the porous C/C body to maximally approximately 60% by volume; and (6) infiltrating the C/C body with liquid silicon so that carbon, at least in an area of pores and capillaries which is close to the surface, becomes silicon carbide.

Abstract: A brake rotor includes a disc-shaped carrier and friction rings arranged on or on top of the carrier, so that the friction rings and carrier form a single piece construction. The carrier and friction rings are made from carbon/carbon materials and ceramic materials respectively. The carrier has a hat-shaped cross-sectional shape with a flanged outer edge and the friction rings are attached to each side of the flanged edge of the carrier. The brake rotor may be directly mounted onto the wheel flange via the carrier using bolts.

Abstract: A friction-type member, which is suited, in particular, as a brake pad for a brake member of fiber-reinforced ceramic, and a method for manufacturing such a brake pad. A mixture is initially prepared from at least carbon particles and metal particles, if indicated, with the addition of polymer binding agents suited for pyrolysis; of hard material particles, such as silicon carbide or titanium carbide as abradants; and of solid lubricants, such as molybdenum sulphide or graphite, and subsequently cold-pressed into green compacts. Sintering is then carried out under vacuum or protective atmosphere, the organic binding agent concentrations initially being pyrolized, and the metal particles being at least partially bonded by reaction to carbon. The friction pads manufactured in this manner exhibit considerable mechanical strength, good frictional properties, as well as a high thermal loading capacity accompanied by a low rate of wear.

Abstract: A brake unit includes a brake disk made of a fiber-reinforced ceramic C/SiC composite and a brake lining tribologically interacting with this brake disk. The brake lining comprises the same material as the brake disk, in which case, at least in the area of the brake lining close to the surface, the hardness is lower than that of the brake disk. The brake unit exhibits a high stability to temperature while the wear is low and the service life is acceptable.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a ceramic metal composite body in the case of which a dimensionally stable and porous sacrificial body is produced from ceramic initial products and is filled at a filling temperature with a softened metal, particularly under an increased pressure. The filled sacrificial body is heated to a reaction temperature and the metal to be filled in, BMe, is reacted with a metal of the ceramics. KMe, forming the ceramic metal composite body which has a ceramic phase having KMe.sub.m B.sub.x and/or KMe.sub.n C.sub.y and/or KMe.sub.o CN and BMe.sub.p O.sub.3 and has a metallic phase having an intermetallic compound which is formed of KMe and BMe, the filling temperature being lower than the reaction temperature and higher than or equal to the softening temperature of the metal.