DeTomaso Mailing List: October 99, Message #2

David Doddek wrote:

> At 03:02 PM 9/30/99 -0400, Andy wrote:
> >
> >The heat will still be there because brakes basically transform kinetic
> >energy (the car's velocity) into potential energy (heat) through friction.
> >
>
> I hate to be the party pooper, but Kinetic is not turned into potential
> energy.  The Kinetic energy is dissipated (lost) in the friction of the
> rotor and brake.  And that friction causes a great deal of heat.
>

True. I think the equation (in short form) goes like

1/2*m*v^2=uF*d  (the first part is of course, KE while u is the coefficient of
friction, F is actually the weight of the car and d is the distance stopped. Of
course, I'm sure that method of work translates to heat but I forgot that
formula.

>
> >I think the ceramic rotors probably essentially "reject" heat instead of
> >absorbing it (like steel rotors would) - meaning that the pads (whatever
> >they're made of - I have no idea) probably get quite hot as they are saddled
> >with absorbing all of the heat...
> >
> The ceramic will still get hot, but it can get much hotter but not suffer
> the effects of a hot steel rotor like warpage and galding.  You can also
> use a more agressive brake pad material without cutting up the rotor.

My problem with ceramics is that while resistant to warpage, galding (galling?),
and such, aren't they susceptible to crystal fracture of sorts? Just wondering.
Cal. #2428r.