SSAB and Trelleborg collaborate on fossil-free steel for brake pads

Source of information: SSAB
Category: Automotive News, News

Demand for sustainable components is high among vehicle manufacturers. This is especially true in the growing electric car segment, where the materials in the car account for a large part of the carbon dioxide emissions remaining after the exhaust has been removed. Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Kalmar AB therefore aims to offer brake shims with a significantly lower carbon footprint than the standard. This agreement with SSAB for future deliveries of fossil-free steel is an important part of this goal.

“Our unique solutions for eliminating vibration and noise in cars are based on our technical knowledge and experience. With fossil-free steel in our components, we will take a leap forward and strengthen our market-leading position,” says Stefan Lundström, Business Area President, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Kalmar AB.

“We are delighted to welcome Trelleborg Sealing Solutions as a fossil-free partner. Together we will support the automotive industry in delivering the key components that both manufacturers and consumers are demanding. The end result will be more sustainable cars for customers,” says Olavi Huhtala, Head of SSAB Europe.

Traditional steel production is a significant source of global CO2 emissions. By changing the way steel is produced, SSAB aims to reduce emissions and create a fossil-free value chain with customers and partners.

SSAB has developed two unique types of steel that are produced with virtually no fossil carbon dioxide emissions: SSAB ZeroTM and SSAB Fossil-freeTM steel. SSAB ZeroTM is based on recycled steel scrap and is produced using fossil-free electricity and biogas and will be available for commercial deliveries from 2023. SSAB Fossil-freeTM steel is produced from iron ore using HYBRIT® technology, which SSAB has developed together with iron ore producer LKAB and energy company Vattenfall. The technology, which has been tested on a pilot scale, uses hydrogen produced with fossil-free electricity to produce iron, the main raw material in steelmaking. The by-product is water instead of carbon dioxide.

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Kalmar AB has been supplying damping solutions such as brake shims since 1988. The company’s products are used by virtually every major vehicle manufacturer in the world to reduce annoying noise and vibration during braking, for example. Shims are made by combining different materials, mainly rubber and metal, and are attached to the brake pads.