Effect of plateau distribution on friction instability of brake friction materials

The effect of contact plateau distribution on stick-slip of brake friction materials was studied based on experimental results and computer simulation of the sliding interface. Experimental results showed that plateau distribution determined the amplitude and frequency of friction oscillation, which were governed by the tangential stiffness and failure strength of each plateau. The numerical analysis showed that the surface with few large plateaus produced larger stick-slip amplitudes than one with several small contact plateaus. This study suggested that the friction material should be designed to produce small contact plateaus on the sliding surface to diminish its noise propensity during brake applications.