Coefficient of Friction of a Brake Disc-Brake Pad Friction Couple

The paper concerns evaluation of the coefficient of friction characterising a friction couple comprising a commercial brake disc cast of flake graphite grey iron and a typical brake pad for passenger motor car. For the applied interaction conditions, the brake pressure of 0.53 MPa and the linear velocity measured on the pad-disc trace axis equalling 15 km/h, evolution of the friction coefficient μ values were observed. It turned out that after a period of 50 minutes, temperature reached the value 270°C and got stabilised. After this time interval, the friction coefficient value also got stabilised on the level of μ = 0.38. In case of a block in its original state, stabilisation of the friction coefficient value occurred after a stage in the course of which a continuous growth of its value was observed up to the level μ = 0.41 and then a decrease to the value μ = 0.38. It can be assumed that occurrence of this stage was an effect of an initial running-in of the friction couple. In consecutive abrasion tests on the same friction couple, the friction coefficient value stabilisation occurred after the stage of a steady increase of its value. It can be stated that the stage corresponded to a secondary running-in of the friction couple. The observed stages lasted for similar periods of time and ended with reaching the stabile level of temperature of the disc-pad contact surface.