INFLUENCE OF THE CONTACT PRESSURE ON THE WEAR BEHAVIOUR OF ASBESTOS – FREE FRICTION MATERIAL THROUGH PIN-ON-DISK TRIBOMETER

Abstract

In this paper a tribological experimental analysis on a commercial asbestos – free friction material has been carried out. The aim of the investigation is to evaluate the influence of the contact pressure on the wear performances of the friction material, by the use of a pin–on–disk tribometer. Wear volume and wear rate parameters have been evaluated considering the contact load as main influence factor. A thin layer of sample material has been added to the rotating disk of the tribometer and matched to a counterface pin, in order to establish the coefficient of friction and the wear rate, under several sliding condition and different running in time test. As post processing evaluation, the surface analysis of the sample material has been carried out; the profiles of the sliding path have been used to measure the wear volume and formulate a wear rate parameter. It has been observed that the pressure contact is the main parameter to affect the tribological performances, such as temperature interface, friction and wear: higher contact pressure has led to higher values of these parameters. The most relevant result has been achieved by the evaluation of the wear rate in time; the experimental campaign has been carried through 1 h wear test. Under different test operating conditions, different trends of the wear rate in time have been observed.