Tribo-oxidation of a brake friction couple under varying sliding conditions

This study explores a common parameter that is used to describe the energy input into a friction pairing in pin-on-disc investigations, the pv-value. The impacts of multiple sliding speed, v, and contact pressure, p, combinations were investigated while keeping their product, the pv-value at a constant level. The chosen tests for this study consisted of steady-state drag braking applications on a small-scale test bench. The actual contact area on the friction material's surface was measured after the tests and correlated to the steady-state temperature, T, that was reached during testing. The tribological interface showed sensitivity towards the different sliding and loading conditions including a shift in oxidising states of the iron contents of the friction couples. The sliding and loading conditions were reversed after the transition of oxidising states in order to investigate their impact. The results show that the oxidising states dynamically react to the operating conditions, but the overall frictional performance of the system can remain at an altered level due to enduring changes in the actual contact area and the thermal response of the friction couple with the transition in oxidising states.