Tribological assessment of rice husk ash in eco-friendly brake friction materials

The tribological behavior of new green friction materials with rice husk (RH) and rice husk ash (RHA) is dis-cussed in the current paper. Two formulations developed, one with 6% RH and one with 6% RHA, were compared with a reference formulation with alumina under the AK Master test, through a braking tribometer. Formulation with RHA showed tribological performance equal to or better than the reference material, especially in high temperature applications where the RHA particles assisted in the building of the contact plateaus. Adding RH reduced the abrasive action of the composite, allowing the formation of a more homogeneous tribofilm on the disc than in the other formulations.

Automated summary

This paper discusses the tribological behavior of new green friction materials containing rice husk and rice husk ash. Two formulations, one with 6% rice husk and one with 6% rice husk ash, were compared with a reference formulation containing alumina using the AK Master test and a braking tribometer. The formulation with rice husk ash showed comparable or better tribological performance than the reference material, especially in high temperature applications where the rice husk ash particles assisted in the formation of contact plateaus. The addition of rice husk reduced the abrasive action of the composite, resulting in a more homogeneous tribofilm on the disc compared to the other formulations.