Effects of mullite fiber content on friction and wear properties of ceramic-based friction material

Ceramic-based friction material with 0%-24% (mass fraction) mullite fiber reinforcement was prepared by nitrogen protection hot-pressing sintering. The effect of mullite fiber content on friction and wear properties of ceramic-based friction material was studied on the XD-MSM constant speed friction tester. The worn surfaces morphology after tests was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and wear mechanism was discussed. The results show that mullite fiber could increase friction coefficients of ceramic-based friction material, and with increasing mullite fiber contents, friction coefficients continuously increase. While the wear rates also increase with increasing mullite fiber contents at high temperature. The dominant wear mechanism of ceramic-based friction material without mullite fiber is brittle spalling and fatigue wear, accompanying with abrasive wear; the main wear type converts into adhesion wear and abrasive wear when adding mullite fiber into ceramic friction material.