Organic Vs. Sintered Disc Pads
Brake pads come in a number of types, including organic, reinforced organic, ceramic semi-metallic and sintered metal. Each has its strengths and weaknesses and should be utilized only where appropriate.
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Ceramic Types
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Semi-metallic (aka semi-met) brake pads contain iron, copper or other metal powders to prevent the pad material from melting and to increase braking power, but they are louder than other pads and are abrasive to the rotor. Non-asbestos organics (NAO) pads utilize kevlar, aramid or fiberglass fibers to increase longevity, but they offer less braking power and don't perform well at high temperatures.
Sintered Metal Pads
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Sintered metal pads are made by pressing metal dust together under high temperatures and pressures. These metals, which generally include copper and/or iron as main elements and tin or zinc as alloying elements, essentially melt to the rotor on application. Sintered pads offer unmatched braking power, but only work well at high temperatures and require hardened stainless steel rotors that won't disintegrate under the metal pads.
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Applications
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Sintered metal pads offer little to no progressivity, meaning that application is either on or off like a light switch. Combined with their other drawbacks, this makes the sintered metal pad far less useful for everyday street use than an organic. If you want a high performance pad for the street, go with a specialized semi-met organic.
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References
- Photo Credit brake image by Jan Will from Fotolia.com
