PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF ALKALI-MODIFIED NATURAL FIBRE REINFORCED FRICTION MATERIALS FOR AUTOMOTIVE BRAKE PAD APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Automotive brake pads require friction materials with high performance stability, wear resistance, and thermal stability under varying operating conditions. In recent years, natural fiber reinforced composites have been considered sustainable alternatives to conventional materials. In this study, the performance of alkali-modified natural fiber-reinforced friction composites for brake pad applications is investigated. Natural fibers were chemically treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to enhance fiber–matrix bonding and reduce moisture absorption. The composites were fabricated using compression molding and characterized through physical, mechanical, tribological, and thermal testing. The results show that the optimized sample BP3 exhibited a maximum density of 2.05 g/cm³, minimum water absorption of 2.08%, and porosity of 6.9%. Mechanical properties showed significant improvement, with hardness of 91 HV, compressive strength of 77 MPa, and impact strength of 6.4 kJ/m². The coefficient of friction increased from 0.38 to 0.42, while the wear rate decreased from 7.6 ×10⁻⁶ to 6.1 ×10⁻⁶ mm³/Nm. Thermal stability was also enhanced, with the degradation temperature increasing to 305°C and weight loss decreasing to 7.9%. Thus, it can be concluded that alkali-treated natural fibers are suitable for sustainable brake pad applications.