Thermomechanical Wear of Organic Metallopolymer Composites

Wear mechanisms of organic composite materials with low content of metallic elements for braking systems of medium and heavy loading have been studied. The tests were carried out on the “finger–disc” scheme on the MMW-1 friction machine. The thermal effect during friction was modelled by the finite element method with focus on heat distribution on the surface. It was found that the sliding speed has the greatest influence on the wear intensity and constitutes 52.24%. A decrease in the friction coefficient at temperatures above 490°C was observed. Materials with high Cu–C content (20 wt %) showed less wear and lower friction coefficients due to graphite, while materials with low Cu–C content (5 wt %) were subjected to more pronounced abrasive wear due to overheating. Composites with 25 wt % binder also showed signs of abrasion, while at 35 wt % binder content the surface was characterized by a more uniform topography. However, the increased binder content led to local thermal failure, which manifested itself in the form of cracks and surface damage. The practical significance lies in the possibility of optimization of materials to improve their wear resistance at high temperatures and loads.