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A semi-empirical index to evaluate the noise propensity of brake friction materials is introduced. The noise propensity index (NPI) is based on the ratio of surface and matrix stiffness of the friction material, fraction of high-pressure contact plateaus on the sliding surface, and standard deviation of the surface stiffness of the friction material that affect the amplitude and frequency of the stick-slip oscillation. The correlation between noise occurrence and NPI was examined using various brake linings for commercial vehicles. The results obtained from reduced-scale noise dynamometer and vehicle tests indicated that NPI is well correlated with noise propensity. The analysis of the stick-slip profiles also indicated that the surface property affects the amplitude of friction oscillation, while the mechanical property of the friction material influences the propagation of friction oscillation after the onset of vibration.

Propensity of cold judder was studied by investigating the correlation between the microstructure of gray iron brake disks and friction properties of commercial brake linings. Based on a brake disk for a mid-size passenger car, gray iron disks with 6 different microstructures were manufactured by changing the carbon equivalent (C.E.) and cooling speed in a commercial manufacturing facility. Graphite morphology of the gray iron changed proportionally according to the C.E. and cooling speeds, exhibiting longer graphite flakes with high C.E. at slow cooling speeds. After screening tests of 23 commercial brake linings, 4 different brake linings (two non-steel and two low-steel linings with high μ and low μ) were selected for parasitic drag tests. Results showed that the preferential disk wear was pronounced in the case of using low steel linings and the trend was marked with the disks containing short graphite flakes.

An NAO friction material (low-steel type) containing 15 ingredients was investigated to study the role of transfer film on the coefficient of friction, friction oscillation, and fade resistance. The friction material specimens containing extra 100% of each ingredient were tested using a pad-on-disk type tribotester. A non-destructive method of measuring the transfer film was developed by considering the electrical resistance of the transfer film. Results showed that solid lubricants and iron powder assisted transfer film formation on the rotor surface and abrasive ingredients tended to remove the film. No apparent relationship between transfer film thickness and the average friction coefficient was found in this experiment. Fade resistance was also found to be independent of the transfer film thickness when the stable film was formed on the rotor surface at elevated temperatures. On the other hand, the transfer film on the rotor surface reduced the amplitude of friction oscillation.