Optimization Of Ceramic Friction Materials

In order to prepare ceramic brake linings with higher friction performance and lower cost, combinatorial friction materials research (CFMR) was conducted. There are three problems related to friction materials formulations. They are (a) how to screen out raw materials of friction materials, (b) how to design friction materials formulations so as to achieve the optimal tribological performance, and (c) how to evaluate friction maerials formulations quantificationally. Raw materials used were screened by four criteria: (a) those raw materials with good wear resistance should be preferred; (b) select those raw materials which have good wear resistance when they combine with group (a) raw materials; (c) select those raw materials that have special functions; (d) select those raw materials which can cut the cost but don't degrade friction performance.Latin square coupled with Golden Section approach was utilized for experimental formulations design. Sensitivity series and comprehensive index of raw materials obtained from the relational grade analysis were used to rank the influence of each ingredient on friction performance: graphite > potassium titanate whisker > MgO > ZrSiO₄ > aramid pulp > wollastonite > mica > vermiculite > BaSO₄ > coke > Sb₂S₃ > copper chips. The evaluating merit of each formulation received from the fuzzy overall merits method was utilized to judge the best formulation. Both comprehensive index and evaluating merit are two novel parameters established and applied to the multi-objective optimization of friction material formulations.Optimization of ceramic friction formulations was implemented in three phases: (a) screen out the optimal one from the initial nine formulations in terms of their friction characteristics, (b) according to the comprehensive evaluation index, the volume fraction of the most advantageous ingredient for friction performance was increased and the most disadvantageous one was...