Use of polysiloxane resins in friction materials

Abstract

In this paper, the authors show the use of polysiloxane resins in friction materials. The authors have used two different commercial resins: one functionalised with methyl groups and the other with phenyl and methyl groups. The present paper shows that the two different resins exhibit different thermal gravimetric losses as well as a different structural evolution upon pyrolysis. After pyrolysis above 700°C, the resins are transformed into an inorganic Si–O–C material, with a higher carbon content when phenyl functionalised resin is used. The friction material components used in this study have good wettability with the resin, showing that the resin acts as an efficient binder. Pads were fabricated using the polysiloxane resin, and they were tested on carboceramic brake discs. Polysiloxane based pads show superior friction behaviour as compared to a conventional organic pad, especially at high temperature and at high energy. Increasing the pyrolysis temperature decreases the friction coefficient and increases the wear rate, but in general, the friction curves decrease their dispersion. The best overall behaviour of the material is found at a pyrolysis temperature of 700°C.

Keywords:

• POLYSILOXANE RESINS
• FRICTION MATERIALS
• PADS
• CARBOCERAMICS MATERIALS