The Influence of Cu/Fe Ratio on the Tribological Behavior of Brake Friction Materials

Copper and iron are the major ingredients in friction materials, among which Fe often been served as friction reinforcement in the past. But in our recent study, the coefficients of friction (COF) decreased with increasing iron content in composites. In order to study the influence of Cu/Fe ratio on the tribological behavior of the composite under simulative braking conditions, a subscale testing apparatus with the pad-on-disk configuration under various initial braking speeds (IBS) was applied. The changes in mean COFs, wear rates, morphologies and chemical constitutions of friction surface for different composites were investigated. Results showed that the composite containing more Fe content always showed lower mean COF and wear rate, which different from the previous studies. This is because, under severe braking conditions, the tribological behavior of composite mainly depends on the evolution of tribo-oxide film on the surface, not just on the substrate themselves. Higher Fe content accelerated the formation of tribo-oxide film and in turn inhibited the destruction of tribo-oxide film on the surface, which leading to lower mean COF and wear rate, as well as a higher critical IBS for the transition of mean COF and wear rate. This work also provides a way to characterize the fracture strength of tribo-film by carried out a peeling test.