Abstract

Automotive brake friction materials are vital part of brake and clutch devices. Friction materials used for brake pads grew from simple formulation containing few elements to complex composites with as many as 20 or more elements. This work presents the use of organic-based (mainly agro-based) formulation as base materials for the production of automobile brake pad/lining and for other industrial applications aiming to replace the use of asbestos, which is carcinogenic when its dust is released. The research commenced with the preparation of experimental materials by addition in weight percent of coconut shell powder, barite, graphite, resin, zinc oxide, friction dust, carbon black, and brass powder as 2.2,2.6,1.2,1.5,0.2,0.8, 0.5, and 0.6 wt% respectively in that order. Test samples were produced by steel moulding method and machined to standard size for the purpose of determining quality bonding, hardness value and swell-growth. The result obtained show a standard homogenous bonded experimental brake pad/lining having a Brinell hardness value (BHN) of about 32.3 and swell growth of 0.625%.