TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF WOVEN CARBON FIBRE COMPOSITE FOR WIND TURBINE BRAKE PADS

The established challenge in contemporary mechanical engineering lies in the enhancement of materials for applications involving wear. This study focuses on analyzing the wear mechanism of brake pads by employing epoxy reinforced with carbon fiber. The fabrication involved the lay-up process, and curing time reduction was achieved through elevated temperatures. The number of the carbon fiber layers examined was 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. To investigate the wear rate characteristics of the carbon fiber composite (CFC), a pin-on-disc apparatus with varying rotational speeds, convertible to linear distance, was utilized. The results reveal that wear decreased when toughness increased. As the fiber content increased, wear decreased. Besides, the delamination of the carbon fibers and the separation of individual layers within the composite structure were the wear mechanism of the composites.