Automotive brake friction composite materials using natural Grewia Optiva fibers
Tej Singh, Gustavo da Silva Gehlen, Ney Francisco Ferreira, L.Y. Barros, Germano Lasch, Jean Carlos Poletto, Sharafat Ali, Patric Daniel Neis
Abstract
There have been growing concerns over using non-renewable resources while manufacturing goods and related environmental laws worldwide. As part of efforts to reduce dependence on non-renewable resources, the uses of natural resources in brake friction materials are gaining prominence. Therefore, a natural fiber from the Himalayan region, Grewia Optiva, was used in the present study to develop a sustainable material for automotive braking applications. Brake friction composite materials were manufactured with various amounts (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 wt%) of Grewia Optiva fiber. The composites were evaluated for physicochemical and mechanical characterization, tribological properties, and noise propensity. The friction performance remains comparable for all composites between 0.41 and 0.44, while a 9–13% reduction in the specific wear rate was obtained for the ≥7.5 wt% Grewia Optiva fiber added to the composites. Fade-recovery performance improved significantly with increasing fiber amount, while friction fluctuations remained the lowest for the composite with 7.5 wt% Grewia Optiva fiber content. At the same time, the minimal stick-slip power was associated with the composite having no Grewia Optiva fiber content. Therefore, a multiattribute decision-making technique was employed to evaluate the overall performance of all the composites suggesting 7.5 wt% Grewia Optiva fiber as the optimal content.