Influence of banana fiber on physicomechanical and tribological properties of phenolic based friction composites

Brake friction composites based on the combinations of banana fiber-barium sulphate were manufactured and characterized for their physical, mechanical and tribological properties. The tribological properties of the friction composites were evaluated following IS 2742 norms on a Chase machine. The experimental outcome reveals that combinations of banana fiber and barium sulphate have a noteworthy impact on the tribological, mechanical and physical properties of the friction composites. Specifically, the friction composites containing 10 wt% banana fiber and 45 wt% barium sulphate content showed highest coefficient of friction, least frictional fluctuations with lowest fade-% compared to the other investigated composites. On the other hand, the wear performance of the composites decreased whereas recovery-% increased with increasing banana fiber and decreasing barium sulphate content. The composite containing 5 wt% banana fiber exhibited the lowest wear whereas, the composite containing 20 wt% banana fiber exhibited the highest recovery-%. Overall, the friction composite with ≤10 wt% banana fiber and ≥45 wt% barium sulphate showed highest coefficient of friction and fade performance with least friction fluctuations.