Comprehensive Review on the Novel Formulations and Tribological Performance of Copper- and Iron-Based Composite Sintered Friction Materials for Heavy-Duty Applications

Abstract Sintered friction materials contribute to efficiency and effectiveness in various domains, encompassing high-performance racing cars, motorcycle clutches, industrial brakes designed for machinery and equipment, railroad brakes, aerospace components, and wind turbines. Heavy-duty applications include wind turbines that require friction material to slow down the speed of the high-speed shaft to zero rotation conditions. Currently, wind turbines employ Cu- and Fe-based sintered composite materials for effective braking. It is possible to customize the performance of sintered friction materials to fulfill particular needs by varying the material's composition, the sintering process parameters, and the surface treatments applied to the finished product. Engineers can enhance these attributes to attain certain objectives, such as a high coefficient of friction, low rates of wear, consistent performance across various operational circumstances, and resistance against thermal deterioration. Many significant advancements have been made today to improve the frictional performance of friction materials in wind turbines. Because failure of such a braking system results in robust failure of the wind turbine under harsh environmental conditions, consolidation of the novel formulations and their frictional performance of such developed friction materials is the need of the hour. In light of this view, we attempted to consolidate it. A comprehensive overview of formulation, microhardness, wear-rate, and friction coefficient are presented in this review article.