REVIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERIWINKLE/PALM KERNEL SHELL-REINFORCED EPOXY MATRIX HYBRID COMPOSITES FOR BRAKE PAD PRODUCTION

Asbestos has traditionally been used in brake pad production due to its durability, but concerns over its health hazards, non-biodegradability, and high cost have prompted the search for safer alternatives. This study investigates the development of eco-friendly, asbestos-free brake pad composites using agro-waste materials, periwinkle shell (PS) and palm kernel shell (PKS) as reinforcements in an epoxy matrix. The uniqueness of the composites lies in combining the high thermal resistance of PS with the mechanical strength of PKS to create a cost-effective and sustainable friction material. The composites were produced with optimized particle sizes of 100–125 μm in various PS-PKS proportions, and their mechanical and tribological properties were evaluated. Results showed that finer particles reduced porosity, improved wear resistance and enhanced hardness up to 75 HRC for PS and 55.7 HRB for PKS. The best formulations achieved coefficients of friction between 0.35–0.44 and wear rates ranging from 0.017 to 0.170 mm/min, comparable to commercial brake pads. Thermal analysis confirmed that PS remains stable above 600 °C, while PKS decomposes in stages between 54–538 °C. These findings support the viability of PS/PKS-epoxy composites as high-performance, environmentally sustainable alternatives to asbestos-based materials.