Reducing emissions, increasing comfort: Optimizing alumina coatings on electric vehicle brake rotors

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Non-exhaust emissions (NEE), such as brake dust, represent nearly half of all vehicle particulate matter emissions. Having successfully implemented policies limiting tailpipe exhaust emissions, legislators are now turning their attention towards brake emissions. Technologies that have been proposed to reduce brake wear particulates include regenerative braking, disc coatings, and new pad formulations. However, these techniques are expensive, and regenerative braking can actually lead to greater rotor corrosion. This project will develop and implement a cost-effective coating technology, called PEA (plasma electrolytic aluminating), to reduce NEE and increase corrosion resistance of brake rotors. Various brake dynamometer tests will be conducted at component levels, followed by vehicle-level tests. The alumina-based coating would result in an alternative wear and friction mechanism that delivers more consistent friction forces and decrease stick-slip problems during each brake event for better driving comfort and modulation. The coated brake system is expected to reduce braking distance and keep wheel rims much cleaner. The coated rotors would show minimum wear potentially to match a typical lifespan of a passenger car. Thus, the proposed alumina coating technology for brake rotors together with newly formulated brake pads from an industrial partner will target to not only improve air and water quality through NEE reduction, but also promote rider comfort and reduce waste, leading to a safer and more sustainable future for electric vehicles. This project will assist auto OEMs and suppliers to get closer to producing "real" emission-free vehicles towards the goal of electromobility for everyone.