Wear and Friction Analysis of Brake Pad Material Using Natural Hemp Fibers

Non-exhaust brake dust and pollution arising from metal, semi-metal, and ceramic brake pads have made recent research consider their replacement by potential natural fibers such as hemp, flax, sisal, etc. These natural fibers are lightweight, biodegradable, and cheap. This paper discusses the wear and friction analysis of hemp fiber reinforced polymer brake pad material. Three test specimens viz. HF4P20, HF5P20, and HF6P20 were prepared per ASTM G99 standards for the pin-on disc tribo-test. The test trials and validation were done using the Taguchi design of experiments and ANOVA. The optimum result showed a consistent coefficient of friction and lowered specific wear rate for HF6P20 brake pad material. Worn surface morphology was done using scanning electron microscopy.

Automated summary

Research considers replacing non-exhaust brake dust and pollution from metal, semi-metal, and ceramic brake pads with natural fibers such as hemp, flax, sisal, etc. These natural fibers are lightweight, biodegradable, and cheap. This paper discusses the wear and friction analysis of hemp fiber reinforced polymer brake pad material. Test specimens were prepared and tested using a pin-on disc tribo-test, with the optimum result showing a consistent coefficient of friction and lowered specific wear rate for HF6P20 brake pad material. Scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the worn surface morphology.