Fade, wear, and fracture behavior of phenolic-based non-asbestos friction composites

The fade and wear characteristics of a milled E-glass fiber reinforced phenolic friction material were studied using a Chase dynamometer. The worn surfaces of the specimens were observed by scanning electron microscope and analyzed by energy dispersive x-rays analysis. The fade mechanism appeared to involve the formation of a film on the worn surfaces of glass fibers. The specific weight loss per unit load and sliding distance decreased with increasing applied load and speed, but increased with increasing bulk drum temperatures.;The use of Kevlar;An experimental technique involving the debonding of fiber bundles and resin was developed to characterize fiber/matrix interfacial bond strength of composite materials. This method was applied on Kevlar-29;The candidate stress intensity factors of chopped glass strand reinforced phenolic composites as determined by Single Edge Notched Bend (SENB) tests were significantly higher than those of Double Edge Notched (DEN) tensile tests. By increasing the fiber volume fraction or the strand length, it was possible to improve the flexural strength without adversely affecting the fracture toughness.