Effect of MoS₂ on transfer film formation and friction coefficients in NAO friction material

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate surroundings for transfer film formation and removal, the effect of the transfer film formation on friction coefficients, the effect of four different abrasive components, ZrO₂, ZrSiO₄, Al₂O₃ and Fe₃O₄, on transfer film formation and the effect of lubricating component MoS₂ on transfer film formation and friction coefficients.

Design/methodology/approach

Two different MoS₂ contents of 5.5 and 8.5 per cent were added to friction materials with no MoS₂ content, which have four different abrasive components, ZrO₂, ZrSiO₄, Al₂O₃, Fe₃O₄. Friction tests composed of three different stages were conducted for those materials, and the friction surfaces of the counterpart disks were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to access the formation of transfer film at each stage.

Findings

For the transfer film formation, high temperature was a prerequisite, but the magnitude of deceleration rate was not important. The effect of the transfer film formation was to reduce the friction coefficients for most friction materials. Friction coefficients of materials which contain lubricating component MoS₂ were higher than those which contain no MoS₂ for most friction materials. The effect of the lubricating component MoS₂ was to suppress the formation of transfer film, thus resulting in increase in friction coefficients.

Research limitations/implications

The transfer film was rather thin, with thickness of 1-2 µm for most friction materials. That hindered the examination of mechanical properties of the transfer film, such as hardness.

Practical implications

This research explained the surroundings for transfer film formation, and its effect on friction coefficients. The research suggests to suppress the formation of transfer film to make friction materials with high friction coefficient, and the lubricating component MoS₂ can be used for the purpose.

Social implications

Development of high-friction-brake materials conventionally depends on the use of strong abrasive components, which may induce attacking of counterpart disks. The enhancement of friction coefficients with addition of MoS₂ content is expected to open a new prospect in development of high-performance friction materials, which can be applicable to brake pads for racing cars.

Originality/value

The study is in pursuit of the transfer film formation in successive friction stages, which revealed the conditions for transfer film generation and removal. Specimen preparation for SEM observation of cross section of friction surface was painstaking to not damage the developed friction surface. The study revealed the effect of different abrasive components on transfer film formation and the effect of lubrication contents of MoS₂ on transfer film formation and friction coefficients.

Citation

Chung, J.O., Go, S.R., Kim, J.H., Choi, J.G., Kim, H.R. and Choi, H.B. (2019), "Effect of MoS₂ on transfer film formation and friction coefficients in NAO friction material", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 71 No. 2, pp. 221-231. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILT-07-2017-0209