Effect of addition of Cu-Al-Mn Phase Change Alloy on Friction and Wear Properties of Resin-Based Friction Material

Various amounts of Cu-11.9Al-2.5Mn phase change alloy powders (20%, 30% and 40%) were added into phenolic resin-based friction material and the effect of phase change alloy powder on friction and wear properties were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe worn surfaces of specimens. The results show that addition of Cu-11.9Al-2.5Mn alloy powder greatly reduced heat fading and increased the friction coefficients at a disc temperature of 350℃. It can be attributed to reverse martensitic transformation of the alloy powder which is an endothermic process and delayed the temperature rise of specimen. The resin-based friction material with an addition amount of 30% alloy powder exhibited stable frictional trace. Increased alloy powder amount increased the wear rate. The addition of 40% alloy powder degraded the bonding between alloy powder and matrix and severe wear at 350℃ was observed.