BRAKE PAD TYPES

Semi-metallic:

Contain about 30 - 65 % metal content that may include fibers from steel wool or steel wire, graphite, copper and inorganic fillers and bonding material. They have very good heat transfer, but because they are very hard, they will wear rotors more quickly. They also do not perform well in cold temperatures.

Organic:

Made from a mixture of non-asbestos fibers such as glass, Kevlar, rubber, or carbon. They are mixed with high temperature resins. Because they are softer, they create less noise and they wear faster and create more dust.

Low-metallic:

These are a blend of Semi-metallic and Organic technologies. They have a smaller amount of metal content to help with heat transfer and increase braking power. They are noisier than Organic but they create less dust.

Ceramic:

Composed of ceramic fibers, non-iron fillers and bonding materials. They usually have small
amounts of metal (usually copper). The ceramic material allows these pads to handle higher brake temperatures with less heat fade, providing faster recovery after a stop, and they generate only a small amounts of light colored brake dust that does not stick to wheels and rims. Ceramic pads wear more slowly and because of their low metal content they cause less wear to the rotors. In addition, they are quieter because they generate noise in a frequency above that of human hearing.