Effects of humidity and corrosion on the tribological behaviour of the brake disc materials

• Published in: Wear Vol. 321; pp. 8 - 15
• Main Authors: Djafri, M., Bouchetara, M., Busch, C., Weber, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 30.12.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aluminum base alloys; Applications; Applied sciences; Automotive engineering; Bearing steels; Brake/clutch materials; Brakes; Carbides; Cast iron; Chromium steels; Contact of materials. Friction. Wear; Corrosion; Corrosion-wear; Discs; Disks; Engineering techniques in metallurgy. Applications. Other aspects; Exact sciences and technology; Humidity; Mechanical properties and methods of testing. Rheology. Fracture mechanics. Tribology; Metal matrix composites; Metal-matrix composite; Metals. Metallurgy; Steel; Surface topography; Tribology; Weight reduction; Metal-matrix composite; Brake/clutch materials; Surface topography; Steel; Corrosion-wear; Cast iron; Aluminium base alloys; Pin on disk machine; Corrosive wear; Metal matrix composite; Salt corrosion; Transition metal; Bearing steel; Chromium steels; Humidity effect; Silicon carbide; Friction; Wear rate; Automobile industry; Friction coefficient; Brake
• ISSN: 0043-1648; 1873-2577
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wear.2014.09.006

The aim of the present work was to investigate the influence of humidity and corrosion in a high-salinity environment on the friction and wear behaviour of three brake disc materials. Experiments were conducted using a commercially built disc-on-pin machine (SRV4, Optimal Instruments, Germany). Three different disc brake materials were used: cast iron (type FG25), chromium bearing steel (type 100Cr6) and an aluminium-based composite Al MMC (type A359/SiCp). The pin in all tests was a commercial automotive brake pad material. The results showed that the friction coefficients and the wear rate for all tested materials were sensitive to increasing normal load and the sliding speed. At increased humidity level, a water film formed and behaved as a lubricant. The corrosion due to salt spray had a larger influence on the tribological behaviour of the cast iron and the chromium steel than it did on the Al MMC. The Al MMC A359/SiCp exhibited a better tribological behaviour than the other brake disc materials used in this investigation under the given test conditions. •We presented an experimental study of the tribological behaviour for brake disc materials.•We varied the normal load, the sliding speed, the humidity and exposure of the brake disc materials to the salt spray corrosion.•We use the tribometer SRV4 disc-pin, disc in cast iron, Al MMC and chromium steel, the pin in commercial pads material.•The humidly has effect on the wear rate.•The corrosion has no effect on the tribological behaviour of the Al MMC compared to the other materials.