Temperature Influence on Brake Pad Friction Coefficient Modelisation

Brake pad linings are an essential part of the correct functioning of braking systems based on the use of pads and discs. Generally, the compounds used to make the gaskets are characterised by the use of over 20 sintered components, which allow friction coefficients that vary between 0.2 and 0.6 at temperatures up to 200 °C. In this work, a traditional compound was investigated under close-to-real conditions in order to evaluate the tribological behaviour at different temperatures. Finally, a model based on the proportionality between temperature increase and relative variation of the friction coefficient was proposed. From the experimental test, it was evident that the friction coefficient increased with the temperature, passing from 0.4 to 0.6 in the temperature range of 100 °C to 180 °C; however, a further temperature increment until 350 °C caused a reduction in the friction coefficient to 0.2. The proposed model was able to anticipate the abovementioned trend, especially at high temperatures.