A test of skill or ability; a contest: a skating competition. Rivalry between two or more businesses striving for the same customer or market. A competitor: The competition has cornered the market. Ecology The simultaneous demand by two or more organisms for a limited environmental resource, such as nutrients, living space, or light.
Ceramic brake pads are an attractive alternative for many drivers to the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) pads that came on the car when it was new. History The use of ceramic brake pads is a relatively new phenomenon. For many years automakers offered new cars with brake pads that were either semi-metallic or composed of an asbestos-based compound. As health concerns grew around the use of asbestos, semi-metallic or low-metallic pads became the standard for most automakers.
A common substitute for asbestos lining is semi-metallic brake linings, which contain metal particles in a bonding agent. These linings are harder and last longer, though they tend to squeak and squeal. Semi-metallic brakes have been available for more than a decade. By the early 1980s, these linings were fully proven.