Tribological Properties of Canarium Schweinfurthii Shells as Frictional Material for Automotive Brake System

Friction material for automobile braking system was developed using canarium schweinfurthii shell (CSS) otherwise known as African elemi. Tribological properties such as thermal conductivity, water/oil absorption test, coefficient of friction, wear rate, hardness test, porosity, compressive and tensile strength, temperature, noise level generated and stopping time-varying speed from 5.56 – 27.78 m/s that directly or indirectly affect brake pad system were investigated. Experimentally developed brake pads (using CSS) were found to compete favourably with conventional brake pads and those from literature studies. The research finding using CSS indicates that CSS particle can effectively and efficiently replace asbestos in brake pad manufacturing.