Friction performance can vary noticeably at the bedding stage for a brake consisting of different carbon-silicon carbide composite discs and organic pads. Such character can become troublesome for brake engineers, either due to inconsistency in quality of components, or the change of supplier. In this paper, we are focusing on the composite disc with an aim to investigate how the variation of silicon carbide dictates the friction performance. The investigation was performed on a laboratory-scale dynamometer by pairing the ceramic discs against same organic pad. It was demonstrated that the number of braking stops required to achieve stable friction is less dependent on the silicon carbide content than the level of friction coefficient after being bedded. To get an insight of the friction performance of a composite brake, we experimentally measured the bedding performance of monolithic silicon carbide ceramics under different surface conditions to reveal any roles that silicon carbide could play.

Bian Guangyu, Wu Houzheng - Loughborough University