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.