Friction materials for brake systems: role of the single constituent properties on the tribological behaviour

This thesis focus on the study of the single constituent effect on the friction and wear properties of brake pad, in order to obtain a systematic selection method for raw friction materials. For this purpose, three systems of commercially available raw materials (carbon, titanates and alumina), were investigated. The results allowed the comprehension of the main morphological and structural features affecting the tribological behaviour, then laying the foundation for making a preliminary selection of the raw materials based on the desired tribological behaviour, overcoming a trial and error approach. The characterization method set up can be applied on several other families of friction materials and the investigation can be extended to other applications, different from brake pads.