Influence of lignocellulosic banana fiber on the thermal stability of brake pad material

In automobiles, the braking system is foremost amongst the most imperative safety features. The basic principle of the braking system is to provide frictional resistance to a moving machine. During brake application, frictional heat is generated, which can cause numerous adverse effects on the brake assembly such as brake fade and wear. Binder is one of the crucial element among all the elements of a brake pad because it maintains the structural integrity of the pads. At high temperature, the binder decomposes due to its poor thermal resistance. The type of binder and its quantity in the fabrication of brake pads is of great importance in overcoming fade. The objective of this study is to fabricate phenolic resin brake pad samples reinforced with lignocellulosic banana fiber, which can resist brake fade and have high thermal stability. Four different brake pad samples BP-0, BP-7, BP-14 and BP-21, with different relative amounts of phenolic resin and banana fiber were formulated and tested on a pin on disc tribometer. The friction tests were carried out at a high temperature and high loading. The thermal stability of samples was examined by TGA and DSC techniques. The results show substantial improvement in friction, fade and thermal stability for sample BP-7 comprising of 7% banana fiber and 28% phenolic resin under high temperature and high loading.