INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRECISION ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING Vol. 12, No. 4, pp.

643-650 AUGUST 2011 / 643

DOI: 10.1007/s12541-011-0083-y

Effect of Pressure on Tribological Characteristics

between Sintered Friction Materials and Steel Disk
Sang Ho Kim1 and Hi Sung Lee1,#
1 Graduate School of Railroad, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 172, Gongreung2-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 139-743
# Corresponding Author / E-mail: hslee@seoultech.ac.kr, TEL: +82-2-970-6877, FAX: +82-2-971-6877

KEYWORDS: Sintered friction materials, Friction coefficient, Wear rate, Oxidation layer, Fe2O3

The effect pressure on tribological characteristics between sintered metallic material and low alloy heat resistance steel was
investigated under dry sliding condition with lab-scale dynamometer. Tests were conducted under continuous speed at 8m/s
with various pressures. The results were analyzed with SEM (scanning electronic microscopy) and X-ray diffraction. Wear
rate of friction materials was change with morphology of friction surface. Stable tribolayers at friction surface affect wear
rate of friction material. Tribolayer which formed both friction surfaces was Fe2O3. Contact temperature was as high as
385℃ at 1.0MPa. Also, high brake pressure promotes an increase in height difference on friction materials’ contact surface
thus trap wear debris which consider to increase friction coefficient.

Manuscript received: March 26, 2010 / Accepted: March 10, 2011

energy.1
NOMENCLATURE When low brake energy is required Cast iron is used as disk. In
the opposite case, heat resistance steel is used.2
µ = Friction Coefficient
Friction materials are divided by organic, metallic, carbon
T = Frictional Torque
composite materials depending on its material matrix. Load,
P0 = Braking Pressure
frequency and economic feasibility are major factors in application.
R = Fiction Radius
Organic-based friction materials are applicable to low energy
µs = Friction Coefficient Stability
consumption equipment whereas carbon composite materials have
µave = Average Friction Coefficient
economic and technological challenges to apply for commercial
µmax = Maximum Friction Coefficient
transportation equipment.3 Metallic-based friction materials are
µmin = Minimum Friction Coefficient
typically used in high speed trains and aircrafts because of its high
energy absorption capability and economical merits. Yet not many
studies present systematic research on friction characteristics
1. Introduction between heat resistance steel and metallic sintered friction
material.4
Recently the transportation systems and industrial machineries When a high energy transport equipment stops its movement,
are competing to advance its performance, speed and enlargement contact surface between brake disk and sintered friction materials
among these high speed trains and aircrafts play a leading role. To shows various behaviors caused by increased temperature. Typical
maximize its performance and speed, high power system and high change on contact surface is oxidation. Oxidation forms oxidized
technological brake system are prerequisites. Basic brake systems layer which changes friction characteristics.5-10
of the transportation equipment usually adopt mechanical brake This study aims at analyzing the characteristics of metallic
systems which convert kinetic energy to thermal energy by keeping sintered friction materials and heat resistance steel, typically used in
the friction material pressurized against the disk. It applies various basic brake systems of high energy transport equipment by
types of disk and friction materials depending on required brake evaluating oxidized layer on contact surface.

© KSPE and Springer 2011

 644 / AUGUST 2011 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRECISION ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING Vol. 12, No. 4

2. Experimental 2.3 Test Methods

2.1 Experimental Specimen
The disk used in this study is made of low-alloyed heat
resistance steel AMS 6385, which is often used by high speed trains
and aircrafts. Its chemical composition is presented in Table 1. Its
mechanical properties are presented in Table 2.
The metallic sintered friction material used in this study is
commonly used the develop for high speed train brake system. The
sintered friction material is Cu-matrix mixed with high alloy steel
powder and ceramic powder as friction modifiers and graphite as
lubricant. Table 3 presents chemical composition of the sintered
friction material.
To reflect actual brake conditions, this study applied pressure
control mode where friction characteristics are assessed by
compressing friction materials to a disk at certain pressure. Inertial
mass used in the test was 0.095kgf m s2, frictional linear velocity
was 8m/sec.
The test pressure was 0.2~1.0MPa, a common pressure level in
real brake system. Friction radius was 0.044m, brake pad size was
5.6cm2. Under each pressure condition, brake was applied 150
times. Prior to this test, bedding procedures were conducted, to
even the contact surface between disk and friction materials.
Bedding procedures were low velocity (4m/sec), low pressure
(0.15MPa), contact surface of friction materials is more than 70%.4

2.2 Test Equipments 2.4 Frictional characteristics assessment

A lab-scale dynamometer was used to assess the frictional
characteristics. The lab-scale dynamometer is composed of driving
unit, specimen compartment including mechanical body, hydraulic-
sub ordinate system and hydraulic device, measurement and control
device, powers and computer system for measurement and control
(Fig. 1).
After the disk reaches required speed, friction materials are
pressured and then the dynamometer can measure torque, speed,
pressure and etc in real time. The Dynamometer data can
automatically be analyzed, saved and printed by a computer. The
maximum operating rpm is 5,000.
To determine characteristics between sintered materials and
disk, friction coefficients, friction stability and wear rate of friction
materials, wear rate of disk and friction temperature were measured.
Friction coefficients can be described by using the following
T
µ= (1)
P0 R
Friction coefficients stability is to assess variations of friction
coefficients when disk stops. It refers to deviation of instantaneous
friction coefficients’value change from average friction coefficients.
Friction coefficients stability can be described by using the
following.5

Table 1 Chemical composition of the disk material (wt %)  1  100

µ s = ( µave ) − ( µmax − µmin ) ×  × (2)
C Si Mn P S Ni Cr Mo V  2  ( µave )
0.24 0.4 0.5 ≤ ≤ ≤ 1.3 0.6 0.20
~0.31 ~0.7 ~0.9 0.025 0.025 0.40 ~1.6 ~0.9 ~0.40 Wear thickness of sintered friction materials was assessed as
this; The specimen mass were measured before and after each test.
Table 2 Mechanical Properties of the disk material And then it was calculated dividing the mass loss by the material
Tensile Strength Yield Strength Elongation Hardness density and specimen area. So it was possible to evaluate the wear
(MPa) (MPa) (%) (HB) thickness suffered by braking.
1,160 950 12 352 Wear of the disk caused by sintered friction materials was
compared by measuring wear tracks. The temperature of sintered
Table 3 Chemical composition of friction material (wt %) friction materials when the brake was applied was measured 1mm
Matrix Friction Modifier Lubricant off from the contact surface using K-Type thermocouple.
etc In addition, to check the shape of contact surface of disk and
Cu Fe Si Al Gr
55~65 10~20 3~8 3~8 6~15 5~10 friction materials, SEM and EDX was used. Chemical composition
of contact surface was analyzed by XRD.

3. Conclusions and Discussion

3.1 Friction coefficient and friction coefficient stability

Figure 2 shows average friction coefficient and friction
coefficient stability for 150 times of braking pressure. The brake
pressure at 0.2MPa displayed 0.40 and 1.0MPa at 0.33 by
displaying low friction coefficient as brake pressure increases. On
the other hand, friction coefficient stability demonstrating 46% at
0.2MPa and showing relatively high increase for each pressure
Fig. 1 Schematic of Lab-scale Dynamometer Figure 3 displayed a friction coefficient following application of