Brake pads and pollution in general

[boha]

Hi experts!

I'm currently doing a project in school about formula one and environmental problems. I'm going to find out something about that in general, and then I'll focus on the brake pad. Therefore I need some infos about which material brake pads are made of. Futhermore I need to know how many people who's watching F1 each time. I also need some kind of documentation - eg. homepage or email...

I hope you can help me

Thanks in advance.

Bo Hansen
OTG

[Ray Bell]

Since about 1987, all F1 cars have used carbon fibre mixes for both discs and pads... as far as I know, certainly close to all the time, anyway.

For normal use, and in cars where carbon fibre discs aren't allowed, asbestos-based pads have been done away with. I think you'll find that most high-performance stuff is a metallic mix of some kind, but I'm no brake specialist...

[boha]

ok, thanks

Do you (or somebody else) know where I can find some information on resins used for brake pads?
There should be traces of phenol, which is quite toxic.

Bo

[THR]

try the brake manufacturers.

the brakes (pads and discs) are made from a carbon-carbon composite.

try
brembo
and
AP racing

they make all? the pads and discs in f1.

pretty sure they are 100% carbon?
kevlar is also used actually, thinking about it.

anyway... since when did F1 care about the enviroment? racing is about spending **** loads of money, and going fast and worrying later!

[Ray Bell]

And they only worry if they lose... or if they don't have a sponsor.

There is probably no group in the world less concerned about the environment than F1... not even the Amazon loggers.

[boha]

hehe, yeah they seem not to care much about environment. Anyway it is only 22 cars which isn't polluting much compared to the rest of the world's cars. Even though I remember I've read somewhere that F1 was moving towards the same fuel as cars.

I'll try contacting some of the companies you've mentioned.

Thanks.


Bo

[Ray Bell]

I don't think the view about 'only 22 cars' is very relevant. There are untold trucks and cars in support, massive numbers of tyres being made in factories that consume huge amounts of power and oil. Aircraft fly them all over the world, too.

Their rate of consumption, just the cars, is many, many times what you'll find on any other type of car.

For instance, the subject at hand, brakes... a full set of pads and discs will be used up in a single race.

[boha]

ok, I see your point. Actually I should look into the entire motorsport, and then compare to see if we get enough from the money and resources we spend here. Not only materials, but also engineers etc., who perhaps should do more helpful things...

[Sammie]

F1 don't care for the environment? I don't think so.

F1 cars used highly volatile rocket fuels around 10 years ago. They now use an unleaded based fuel.

The FIA have a scheme of planting trees based on the amount of co2 produced by the teams in the season.

McLaren are building Paragon (lovely) and they are thinking about energy saving in the building. They also removed all the snakes and wildlife that would be affected in the area and relocated them.

The FIA banned the use of berillium based alloys.

The old racing tyres used by the teams are not thrown away but are used as tyre walls around kart tracks or as coffee tables.

We all pollute the atmosphere, but because F1 is a very commerical activity means that a lot of people judge it.

Look at the military!!!! afterburning, nuclear weapons, tanks that burn tonnes of fuel and give off a lot of black smoke and NOx. Ok you could argue that they are there for a reason. to protect.

F1 is there for a reson, to provide entertainment, to develop new technology etc. Without motorsport technology and development, the advances in road vehicle economy, design, construction and comfort would be far worse than it is now.

[THR]

well i kinda meant, they wont ever put Cats on the cars, or reduce the amount of stuff the cars use,
they would only do that on cost issues, or logistics.

they offset the polution in various ways, like u said, which is good.
but they still make it all in the first place!!
i dont mind tho.
im no greenie!!

[Ray Bell]

The pollution created by all the F1 teams with all their activity during a year would be about equal to that of a village in a third world country combined with a small town in the USA.

There are bigger issues in the world... but third world countries are using resources in a totally different way. They only have old, worn out, cars. They cut down trees, they have little or no idea (and their position ensures that they wouldn't care, either) about any environmental issues. They just want to eat.

Americans, by and large, use resources in a cleaner way. But they use them wholesale. I once saw a statistic that the USA uses 58% of the world's energy... of course, some of it's used making stuff to export, so it's not all their usage...