Effect of Gray Cast-Iron Microstructure and Brake Pad Formula on Wear Behavior and Corrosion Sticking Influenced by Thermal Preconditioning: The Copper Role 2012-01-1836

Brake pad material formulation and disc microstructure/composition plays a mutual role during wear test due to the third body layer (TBL) formation and its relative evolution due to temperature change. Nevertheless these ones could influence corrosion behavior. In this study we investigated the effect of rotors characteristics on wear and sticking behavior. Rotor and brake pad microstructure were analysed with optical, metallographic and scanning electron microscope to understand the surface and TBL evolution (using different thermal preconditioning) taking into consideration also the copper role during the different wear stages. During this preliminary study we were able to find out different copper smear morphologies depending on test conditions and rotors features.