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Besides elimination of copper, the eco-friendly brake materials are developed using geopolymer matrix and natural fibers to replace phenolic resin and synthetic fibers, respectively. The objectives are to diminish i) the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) being released from the brake materials when subjected to temperatures higher than 300 °C; and ii) release the potentially hazardous wear debris particles to the environment. Brake materials were fabricated in university and tested using SAE J2430 test procedure and full scale automotive brake dynamometer (Dyno). Dyno test results indicate that the average friction level of the eco-friendly Cu-free materials (µ ∼ 0.30 to 0.33) was only slightly lower when compared to the baseline material containing Cu (µ ∼ 0.35). All tested materials have passed the Brake Effectiveness Evaluation Procedure (BEEP).

The purpose of this research study was to develop Cu-free automotive brake materials. Model brake material samples were manufactured and subjected to full scale automotive brake dynamometer (Dyno) tests using SAE J2430 test procedure. The SAE recommended J2430 test procedure provided the necessary data for the Brake Effectiveness Evaluation Procedure (BEEP) by the Brake Manufacturers' Council. The Dyno results indicate that the friction level of the all four Cu-free samples was similar to the baseline material. All tested brakes have passed the Brake Effectiveness Evaluation Procedure (BEEP). The average effectiveness of Baseline (BL), GT1, GT2, T401 and T402 samples is 0.32, 0.31, 0.30, 0.31 and 0.31, respectively. The Dyno results show that the Cu-free samples had similar or better performance compared to the baseline material as the temperature of the brake increased in the fade section. However, the Cu-free samples exhibit slightly higher wear rate in Dyno tests.