Abstract
Frictional behavior of three automotive friction materials (brake pads) containing different amounts of antimony trisulfide ($Sb_2S_3$) and zirconium silicate ($ZRSiO_4$) were investigated using a front brake system. The friction materials were tested on a brake dynamometer (dyno) with gray cast iron rotors. The dynamometer(dyno) test simulated the dragging of a ehicle maintaining 70 km/h and vehicle stops from 100 km/h using 20 different combinations of initial brake temperature (IBT) and input pressure (IP). The results showed a strong influence of the relative amount of $Sb_2S_3$ and $ZrSiO_4$ in friction materials on friction characteristics. Friction stability was improved with the higher concentration of $Sb_2S_3$ in the friction material. Torque variation during drag cycle was increased with an increase of the $ZrSiO_4$ concentration in the friction material. Average friction coefficient and the wear rate of the friction material increased by using more aggressive friction materials containing more $ZrSiO_4$ and less $Sb_2S_3$. Generation of the disk thickness variation (DTV) increased when friction materials with higher concentration of $ZrSiO_4$ were used Careful examination of DTV change showed that aggressiveness of the friction material played an important role in determining torque variation.
