Performance assessment of disc brake systems fabricated from eco-friendly materials

Abstract The automotive industry is increasingly prioritizing sustainability, resulting in the use of eco-friendly materials for various components, such as brake pads. This study investigates the performance characteristics of several natural fibre based brake pads used in disc brakes by integrating experimental data and numerical analysis. Four brake pad specimens based on Jute, Coconut coir, Banana and Oil palm were fabricated via a powder metallurgy technique. Their physical and mechanical properties were experimentally determined. These properties were then used as an input for numerical analysis to evaluate the performance in terms of stress, pressure and wear depths, at three different speeds. It was concluded that wear depth of brake pad increases with increase in speed. Among them, jute based brake pad depicted minimum average wear depths whose value equal to 0.12 mm, 0.15 mm, and 0.24 mm at three speeds respectively.