What are the benefits of aluminium brake pads over steel?

The quoted 50% weight saving seems rather pointless on something as tiny as brake pads (well, to me anyway) are there any meaningful benefits to an aluminium backing materail over steel for break pads? Some adverts suggest ‘better performance’ but in what way?

When the pad material seperates and falls out, alu pads won’t score your rotors as badly!

if you want to be a true weight weenie then ‘every little helps’

specific heat capacity of aluminum is a lot lower than steel, the aluminium will dissapate heat better than steel but it is also more conductive.

gin is preventing me making any sense of this. I’m sure it’s all relative.

Who does alu pads now? Superstar seem to have stopped which was a shame, there was a noticable weight difference when you held both, and as they cost basically the same, and worked as well, if not better, there’s not really any reason not to use them!

I think titanium backplate pads would be ideal but cost more.

Will Alu deform? are they fine for brakes? -tested before sold I guess.

Anybody know if it matters?

when will we see carbon fibre backed pads? that’s what i’m waiting for

avid does an alu pad for juicys

Are you sure about that?

I know they do for Elixirs, some of the brakes come with them, I think the aftermarket ‘organic’ ones are alu backed, but they’re both steel on Juicys.

XTR M970s are ti backed, they cost £35 each or sommat!