The characterization of wear debris and tracks is paramount to understand the dominant wear mechanisms active in tribological systems. In this paper we present the main aspects of a streamline characterization protocol we have implemented to characterize wear products, particularly disc brake materials, obtained in different ways and from different wear rigs. The protocol is based on the smart application of different materials characterization tools, like X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy. It is validated by studying wear debris and tracks obtained under different experimental conditions with the aim of identifying the main wear mechanisms. A discussion on the best practice for experimental testing, even as concerns the statistical significance of the data, is presented. In this respect the proposed experimental approach may be profitably employed even in other contexts, like environmental and health monitoring, as far as particulate matter, even from other sources than brake systems, is concerned.

Piyush Chandra Verma, Stefano Gialanella, Giovanni Straffelini - University of Trento; Mattia Alemani - Brembo SpA; Ulf Olofsson - Royal Institute of Technology