Experimental study of the Properties of Brake pad using Egg shell particles-Gum Arabic composites

This experimental study investigated the properties of eco-friendly (biodegradable) brake pad using egg shell (ES) particles and Gum Arabic (GA) as the binder in order to replace asbestos and formaldehyde resin which are carcinogenic in nature and not biodegradable. The brake pad formulation was produced by varying the GA from 3 to 18 wt%. The following properties were tested: wear rate, hardness values, compressive strength, thickness swelling in water and SAE oil, thermal resistance and specific gravity. The microstructure of the brake pad showed that fair bonding was achieved with the formulations from 15 to 18 wt% of GA. The sample with 18 wt% of GA in ES particles gave the best properties. The temperature of maximal decomposition of ES particles was higher than asbestos and many agro-wastes currently used in the production of brake pad materials. The results obtained at 18 wt% of GA in ES particles formulation compared favourably with the commercial brake pad. Hence, the developed brake pad can be us...