The Effect of Phenolic Resin, Rubber, Calcium Carbonate and Graphite on Tribological Characteristic of Semi-Metallic Brake

This paper presents a study to investigate the effect of phenolic resin, rubber, calcium carbonate and graphite on the tribological characteristic and to achieve optimal friction material formulation for improved wear and fade resistance of a brake pad. Nine experiments runs based on an orthogonal array of Taguchi method, adapted to the formulation were developed. The laboratory brake pads were examined for physical properties (surface hardness and specific gravity) and tribological properties (wear and fade resistance). The tests were carried out using Chase dynamometer. The signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio was out to determine the optimum values of friction material combinations for improved tribological behaviour and identify the significant factors affecting the tribological characteristic. Through this study, phenolic resin has the greatest influence on the tribological properties of brake pad.