Tyre and Brake Wear

Brake‑ and tyre‑wear emissions have become increasingly important due to their impact on air quality, human health, and the performance of the vehicle components themselves. Both systems generate particles through mechanical abrasion and through heat‑related processes, making them significant non‑exhaust sources of particulate pollution..

Brake emissions arise from the highly dynamic nature of braking, where factors such as braking force, duration, and resulting heat generation influence both the concentration and size of emitted particles. Mechanical wear typically produces micron‑sized particles (>1 μm), while volatile materials released during high‑temperature events form additional nucleation particles in the 10–200 nm range.

Tyre‑wear emissions follow similar multi‑mechanism pathways. Particles are produced through tyre–road interaction and through evaporation caused by tyre heating, creating a broad size spectrum from a few nanometres to several micrometres. Because both brake‑ and tyre‑wear emissions span such wide particle size ranges and originate from different formation mechanisms, accurate characterization requires instrumentation capable of measuring particles across the full spectrum.

We offer comprehensive solutions for both research and routine monitoring of these non‑exhaust emissions, including real‑time and gravimetric systems covering particle sizes from 6 nm up to 10 μm.