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Ferre
Cannabis Sacrament Minister.
Joined: 14 Apr 2003
Posts: 7138
Location: Amsterdam
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 Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 4:47 pm Post subject: Hemp fibres used in train brake pads |
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Hemp fibres used in train brake pads
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NATURAL fibres such as hemp can replace costly aramid fibres in brake pads, with no loss of performance and less impact on the environment, according to re - search by the Sustainable Technologies Initiative (STI). Brake pads are one of the key components in the race to develop greener transport, with 80m sets used in the UK alone every year. Since the use of asbestos was phased out in the 1980s, most have been formulated using aramid fibres. They also incorporate significant amounts of heavy metal compounds. Around 20,000 tonnes of dust containing these materials are discharged into the environment as the pads wear. New research into eco-friendly brake pads, backed by the STI, has shown how a switch to natural fibres, such as hemp, could offer a more sustainable solution. In the Ecopad project, re - search ers demonstrated how renewable fibres can reduce reliance on synthetic materials and allow heavy metal constituents to be replaced with safer alternatives. The outcome is expected to provide up-to-date solutions to the global transport industry and its friction material supply base. Our STI research promises the creation of an important future application and new market for natural fibre crops, said project leader Dr Luke Savage of the University of Exeter. Ecopad combines greener transport with greatly reduced costs for friction product manufacturers. With no loss of braking performance, the attractions are obvious and there has already been a great deal of interest from manufacturers and the public.
Following positive test results, Commercial development is going ahead, initially for the railway industry. The main end-user, European Friction Industries (EFI), is particularly interested in exploiting the use of hemp in train brakes. Customers in Norway and other parts of Europe want to remove the use of sintered metal brakes that result in heavy metals getting into the environment. Interest is also expected from operators of underground and metro lines because of health concerns over airborne brake dust in enclosed spaces. |
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Brother Adam
Cannabis Sacrament Minister
Joined: 04 Feb 2005
Posts: 1882
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| Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 6:09 am Post subject: |
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Oh, well...this tops the hemp clothing thread, lol! Kinda mind blowing to know it's strong enough for brakes on trains!!! Damn! 
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David
Bard
Joined: 28 Sep 2003
Posts: 1188
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| Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 9:00 am Post subject: |
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Could this mean we could stop trains with our old hemp t-shirts  |
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