Review on the friction and wear of brake materials

The friction brake works as an indispensable guarantee for regular work and safety operation of vehicles and industrial equipments. Friction and wear behaviors of brake’s friction materials are considered as an important subject. In this article, friction materials were classified by matrix categories, and their major components were introduced first. Then, the advantages and disadvantages of each friction material were summarized and analyzed. Furthermore, the micro-contacting behaviors on friction interface and the formation mechanism of various friction films were discussed. Finally, the influential rules and mechanism of braking conditions (temperature, pressure, and velocity) on the friction and wear behaviors of friction materials were summarized. It is concluded that the friction film, an intermediate product in braking, is greatly beneficial to protect friction materials from being seriously abraded. The braking conditions have complicated influences on friction and wear behaviors of brake. Generally, the friction coefficient tends to be fairly low while the wear rate increases rapidly under a condition with high temperature, braking pressure, or initial braking speed.