Tribological and mechanical behaviours of resin-based friction materials based on microcrack filling

To enhance the friction performance of resin-based friction materials, five types of specimens with different polymer ether ketone (PEEK) contents were fabricated and their physiomechanical behaviours were tested and, their tribological properties were investigated using a JF150F-II constant-speed tester. It was found that the addition of PEEK had a positive influence on the properties of the friction materials, and sample FM-3 (the shorthand of ‘Friction Materials-3’, containing 2 wt% PEEK) exhibited improved friction performance with a fade ratio and recovery ratio of 8.6% and 101.1% respectively. Among all samples, FM-4 (the shorthand of ‘Friction Materials-4’, containing 3 wt% PEEK) had the lowest specific wear rate with a value of 0.622 × 10⁻⁷ cm³ (N·m)⁻¹ at 350°C. The PEEK can fill the microcracks in the composite at a high temperature and can also cover the hard abrasive particles to prevent them from directly damaging the composite. The findings from this study afford a foundation for studies to further improve the properties of resin-based friction materials.