Tribological Properties of Carbonaceous Ingredients such as Natural Graphite, Artificial Graphite, and Cokes in Automotive Brake Friction Materials

Influences of carbonaceous ingredient as a solid lubricant in automotive friction materials on friction properties were studied. Three types of carbonaceous ingredients such as natural graphite, artificial graphite, and cokes were mixed using a constrained mixture design. A 1/5 scale brake dynamometer was used to obtain tribological properties. Results showed that cokes substantially increased the friction coefficient, and natural graphite effectively reduced stick-slip phenomena. This significant difference was attributed to the formation of the friction film on the brake pad which was shown to be strongly dependent on the graphite types. The different crystal structures of the carbonaceous solid lubricants played a significant role in the formation of friction film at the interface.