Cashew nuts come to aid of car safety

It may sound like one of the more unlikely scientific breakthroughs but it is true – cashew nuts are helping ensure that motorists are safer on the roads.

Hartlepool firm Palmer UK has produced a friction powder derived from Indian and Brazilian nuts that helps braking efficiency.

And the University of Teesside has won international praise for providing a reliable system for testing the consistency of each batch of the product and for testing a new formulation for high temperature applications.

The system is now achieving wider fame: German car makers, who have particularly strict limits concerning vehicle braking systems, have said the University's testing procedure is superior to their own.

The testing method was devised by Dr Paul Shelton, Principal Lecturer in Materials at the University of Teesside and his colleague, Tony Bonner, the University's Materials Suite Manager.

Kevin Palmer, a member of the Palmer family of America which runs the Hartlepool plant, visited the University with his Hartlepool managing director Douglas Brown, to hear a presentation by third year student Richard Bennett, of Billingham, who used the product as the basis of his final year project.

Paula Henderson, Quality Manager of Palmer UK, part of Palmer International, pictured (in the attached photograph) with Dr Shelton, explained: "Oil is taken from the cashew nut shells and we add various chemicals to turn it from a liquid into solid particles and we grind them to whatever size our customers want.

"This friction material is supplied to brake pad manufacturers throughout the world, who use it for brake linings and pads, occasionally putting it into clutch linings."

Paula is delighted with the way Palmer UK and the University have co-operated on the testing, saying: "We have worked extremely well together and the University has even made sure our computers are right for the task in hand. I'm sure this relationship and co-operation will be developed further."

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