Optimization of pore structure and wet tribological properties of paper-based friction materials using chemical foaming technology

Paper-based friction materials are porous materials that exhibit anisotropy;they exhibit random pore sizes and quantities during their preparation,thereby rendering the control of their pore structure difficult.Composites with different pore structures are obtained by introducing chemical foaming technology during their preparation to regulate their pore structure and investigate the effect of pore structure on the properties of paper-based friction materials.The results indicate that the skeleton density,total pore area,average pore diameter,and porosity of the materials increase after chemical foaming treatment,showing a more open pore structure.The addition of an organic chemical foaming agent improves the curing degree of the matrix significantly.Consequently,the thermal stability of the materials improves significantly,and the hardness and elastic modulus of the matrix increase by 73.7%and 49.4%,respectively.The dynamic friction coefficient increases and the wear rate is reduced considerably after optimizing the pore structure.The wear rate,in particular,decreases by 47.7%from 2.83×10^(−8) to 1.48×10^(−8)cm^(3)/J as the foaming agent content increases.Most importantly,this study provides an effective method to regulate the pore structure of wet friction materials,which is conducive to achieving the desired tribological properties.

Friction Characteristics Between Marine Clay and Construction Materials

Structure-soil interface friction characteristics is of importance to investigate the interaction between engineering structures and soils,especially for offshore structures.The interface friction behavior between marine clay and structural materials with different roughness was studied in this paper by using 3D optical scanning tests,a modified direct shear device and numerical simulation.Relationships between the surface roughness of structures,water content and interface friction angle were presented by model tests.The increase of water contents decreased the interface friction angles.For interfaces with different roughness,the interface friction angles will be smaller than that of the soil when the water content exceeds a certain value.The roughness of the interface and the water content of the soil are mutually coupled to influence the coefficient of friction(COF).This paper proposed a Finite Element Method(FEM)to simulate the interface direct shear tests of structures with different roughness.The surface models with different roughness are established based on the structure data obtained by 3D scanning.The Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian(CEL)approach was employed to analyse soils sheared by irregular surfaces.The interface behavior for interfaces with different roughness under cyclic shear stresses was analyzed by FEM.

3D modeling for effect of tool eccentricity on coupled thermal and material flow characteristics during friction stir welding

A novel three-dimensional numerical model is proposed to investigate the effect of tool eccentricity on the coupled thermal and material flow characteristics in friction stir welding(FSW) process.An asymmetrical boundary condition at the tool-workpiece interface,and the dynamic mesh technique are both employed for the consideration of the tool eccentricity during tool rotating.It is found that tool eccentricity induces the periodical variation of the heat densities both at the tool-workpiece interface and inside the shear layer,but the fluctuation amplitudes of the heat density variations are limited.However,it is demonstrated that tool eccentricity results in significant variation of the material flow behavior in one tool rotating period.Moreover,the material velocity variation at the retreating side is particularly important for the formation of the periodic characteristics in FSW.The modeling result is found to be in good agreement with the experimental one.

Existence and numerical approximation of a solution to frictional contact problem for electro-elastic materials

In this paper,a frictional contact problem between an electro-elastic body and an electrically conductive foundation is studied.The contact is modeled by normal compliance with finite penetration and a version of Coulomb’s law of dry friction in which the coefficient of friction depends on the slip.In addition,the effects of the electrical conductivity of the foundation are taken into account.This model leads to a coupled system of the quasi-variational inequality of the elliptic type for the displacement and the nonlinear variational equation for the electric potential.The existence of a weak solution is proved by using an abstract result for elliptic variational inequalities and a fixed point argument.Then,a finite element approximation of the problem is presented.Under some regularity conditions,an optimal order error estimate of the approximate solution is derived.Finally,a successive iteration technique is used to solve the problem numerically and a convergence result is established.

Highly Improved Microstructure and Properties of Poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) Paper-based Materials via Hot Calendering Process

In this study,the effect of hot calendering process on the microstructure and properties of poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide)(PPTA) paper-based materials was investigated.The microstructures of the fracture surface,crystalline structure,and single fiber strength of the PPTA paperbased materials as well as the different bonding behaviors between the PPTA fibers and PPTA fibrids obtained before and after the hot calendering process were examined.The results indicated that a high linear pressure would result in a limited improvement of the strength owing to the unimproved paper structure.The optimal values of tensile index and dielectric strength of 56.6 N·m/g and 27.6 kV/mm,respectively,could only be achieved with a synergistic effects of hot calendering temperature and linear pressure(240℃ and 110 k N/m,respectively).This result suggested it was possible to achieve a significant reinforcement and improvement in the interfacial bonding of functional PPTA paper-based materials,and avoid the formation of unexpected pleats and cracks in PPTA paper-based materials during the hot calendering process.

Visualization and simulation of plastic material flow in friction stir welding of 2024 aluminium alloy plates

Thin copper sheets as marker material were embedded into weld path of 2024 aluminium alloy plates and their final position after friction stir welding was examined by metallographic techniques. Referring to the visualized material flow patterns, a three-dimensional model was developed to conduct the numerical simulation of the temperature profile and plastic material flow in friction stir welding. The calculated velocity contour of plastic flow in close proximity of the tool is generally consistent with the visualized results. As the tool rotation speed increases at a constant tool travel speed, the material flow near the pin gets stronger. The predicted shape and size of the weld nugget zone match with the experimentally measured ones.

STUDY OF THE PERFORMANCE ON THE WEAR AND FRICTION OF THE C/Cu COMPOSITE MATERIAL

The friction and wear properties of the C/Cu composite material were investigated. The experiments were conducted on a block on ring type friction machine. It has been found that the friction coefficient and the wear rate of the composite material increase slowly as the pressure is increased in a mild wear state. Scanning electron microscopy and electron probe X ray micro analyzer observations indicate that the low values of μ and W L are due to the formation of a film that impedes adhesion and confers some degree of self lubrication.

Friction Behavior of Magnetorheological Fluids with Different Material Types and Magnetic Field Strength

Magnetorheological （MR） fluid is a type of a smart material that can control its mechanical properties under a magnetic field. Iron particles in MR fluid form chain structures in the direction of an applied magnetic field, which is known as MR effect, resulting in variation of stiffness, shear modulus, damping and tribological characteristics of MR fluid. As MR effect depends on the density of particles in the fluid or the strength of a magnetic field, the experiments are conducted to evaluate the friction property under reciprocating motion by changing the types of MR fluid and the strength of a magnetic field. The material of aluminum, brass, and steel are chosen for specimen as they are the most common material in mechanical applications. The surfaces of specimen are also observed by optical microscope before and after experiments to compare the surfaces with test conditions. The comparing results show that the friction coefficient increases as the strength of a magnetic field increases in regardless of types of MR fluid or the material. Also the density of particle in MR fluid affects the friction characteristic. The results from this research can be used to improve the performance of mechanical applications using MR fluid.

Low-cost solid FeS lubricant as a possible alternative to MoS2 for producing Fe-based friction materials

Three reaction systems of MoS_2-Fe, FeS -Fe, and Fe S-Fe-Mo were designed to investigate the use of FeS as an alternative to MoS_2 for producing Fe-based friction materials. Samples were prepared by powder metallurgy, and their phase compositions, microstructures, mechanical properties, and friction performance were characterized. The results showed that MoS_2 reacts with the matrix to produce iron-sulfides and Mo when sintered at 1050°C. Iron-sulfides produced in the MoS_2-Fe system were distributed uniformly and continuously in the matrix, leading to optimal mechanical properties and the lowest coefficient of friction among the systems studied. The lubricity observed was hypothesized to originate from the iron-sulfides produced. The Fe S-Fe-Mo system showed a phase composition, porosity, and density similar to those of the MoS_2-Fe system, but an uneven distribution of iron-sulfides and Mo in this system resulted in less-optimal mechanical properties. Finally, the Fe S-Fe system showed the poorest mechanical properties among the systems studied because of the lack of Mo reinforcement. In friction tests, the formation of a sulfide layer contributed to a decrease in coefficient of friction（COF） in all of the samples.

Materials flow and phase transformation in friction stir welding of Al 6013/Mg

Material flow and phase transformation were studied at the interface of dissimilar joint between Al 6013 and Mg, produced by stir friction welding （FSW） experiments. Defect-free weld was obtained when aluminum and magnesium were placed in the advancing side and retreating side respectively and the tool was placed 1 mm off the weld centerline into the aluminum side. In order to understand the material flow during FSW, steel shots were implanted as indexes into the welding path. After welding, using X-ray images, secondary positions of the steel shots were evaluated. It was revealed that steel shots implanted in advancing side were penetrated from the advancing side into the retreating side, whereas the shots implanted in the retreating side remained in the retreating side, without penetrating into the advancing side. The welded specimens were also heat treated. The effects of heat treatment on the mechanical properties of the welds and the formation of new intermetallic layers were investigated. Two intermetallic compounds, Al3Mg2 and Al12Mg17, were formed sequentially at Al6013/Mg interface.

Solid FeS lubricant: a possible alternative to MoS2 for Cu–Fe-based friction materials

Molybdenum disulfide(MoS_2) is one of the most commonly used solid lubricants for Cu–Fe-based friction materials. Nevertheless, MoS_2 reacts with metal matrices to produce metal sulfides(e.g., FeS) and Mo during sintering, and the lubricity of the composite may be related to the generation of FeS. Herein, the use of FeS as an alternative to MoS_2 for producing Cu–Fe-based friction materials was investigated. According to the reaction principle of thermodynamics, two composites—one with MoS_2(Fe–Cu–MoS_2 sample) and the other with FeS(FeS–Cu_2S–Cu–Fe–Mo sample), were prepared and their friction behaviors and mechanical properties were compared. The results showed that MoS_2 reacted with the Cu–Fe matrix to produce FeS, metallic ternary sulfides, and Mo when sintered at 1050°C. The MoS_2–Cu–Fe and FeS–Cu_2S–Cu–Fe–Mo samples thereby exhibited similar characteristics with respect to phase composition, density, hardness, and tribological behaviors. Micrographs of the worn surfaces revealed that the stable friction regime for both composites stemmed from the iron sulfides friction layers rather than from the molybdenum sulfides layers.

Analysis of a quasistatic contact problem with adhesion and nonlocal friction for viscoelastic materials

A mathematical model is established to describe a contact problem between a deformable body and a foundation. The contact is bilateral and modelled with a nonlocal friction law, in which adhesion is taken into account. Evolution of the bonding field is described by a first-order differential equation. The materials behavior is modelled with a nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive law. A variational formulation of the mechanical problem is derived, and the existence and uniqueness of the weak solution can be proven if the coefficient of friction is sufficiently small. The proof is based on arguments of time-dependent variational inequalities, differential equations, and the Banach fixed-point theorem.

Effects of pin geometry on the material flow behavior of friction stir spot welded 2A12 aluminum alloy

A three-dimensional finite volume model was established by the ANSYS FLUENT software to simulate the material flow behavior during the friction stir spot welding （FSSW） process. Effects of the full-threaded pin and the reverse-threaded pin on the material flow behavior were mainly discussed. Results showed that the biggest material flow velocity appeared at the outer edge of the tool shoulder. The velocity value became smaller with the increase of the distance away from the tool surface. In general, material flows downwards along the pin thread when the full-threaded pin is used. Meanwhile, both the materials of the upper and the lower plates flow towards the lap interface along the pin thread when the reverse-threaded pin is used. The numerical simulation results were investigated by experiment, in which 2A12 aluminum alloy was used as the research object. The effective sheet thickness （EST） and stir zone （SZ） width of the joint by the reverse-threaded pin were much bigger than those by the full-threaded pin. Accordingly, cross tension failure load of the joint by the reverse-threaded pin is 23% bigger than the joint by the full-threaded pin.

Simulation of 3D material flow in friction stir welding of AA6061-T6

This paper reports the numerical simulation of the 3D material flow in friction stir welding process by using finite element methods based on solid mechanics. It is found that the material flow behind the pin is much faster than that in front of the pin. The material in front of the pin moves upwards and then rotates with the pin due to the effect of the rotating tool. Behind of the pin, the material moves downwards. This process of material movement is the real cause to make the friction stir welding process continuing successfully. With the increase of the translational velocity or the rotational velocity of the pin, the material flow becomes faster.

3D visualization of the material flow in friction stir welding process

The material flow in friction stir welded 2014 Al alloy has been investigated using a marker insert technique （MIT）. Results of the flow visualization show that the material flow is asymmetrical during the friction stir welding （FSW） process and there are also significant differences in the flow patterns observed on advancing side and retreating side. On advancing side, some material transport forward and some move backward, but on retreating side, material only transport backward. At the top surface of the weld, significant material transport forward due to the action of the rotating tool shoulder. Combining the data from all the markers, a three-dituensional flow visualization, similar to the 3D image reconstruction technique, was obtained. The three-dimensional plot gives the tendency chart of material flow in friction stir welding process and from the plot it can be seen that there is a vertical, circular motion around the longitudinal axis of the weld. On the advancing side of the weld, the material is pushed downward but on the retreating side, the material is pushed toward the crown of the weld. The net result of the two relative motions in both side of the advancing and the retreating is that a circular motion comes into being. Comparatively, the material flow around the longitudinal axis is a secondary motion.

Impact and Friction Sensitivity of Energetic Materials：Methodical Evaluation of Technological Safety Features

Key methods developed and used in the USSR and in the Russian Federation to determine the impact and friction sensitivity of energetic materials and explosives have been discussed.Experimental methodologies and instruments that underlie the assessment of their production and handling safety have been described.Studies of a large number of compounds have revealed relationships between their sensitivity parameters and structure of individual compounds and compositions.The range of change of physical and chemical characteristics for the compounds we examined covers the entire region of their existence.Theoretical methodology and equations have been formulated to estimate the impact and friction sensitivity parameters of energetic materials and to evaluate the technological safety in use.The developed methodology is characterized by high-accuracy calculations and prediction of sensitivity parameters.

Effect of ZrSiO_4 on the Friction Performance of Automotive Brake Friction Materials

Friction-wear properties of the ZrSiO4 reinforced samples were measured and compared with those of plain bronze based ones. For this purpose, density, hardness, friction coefficient wear behaviour of the samples were tested. Microstructures of samples before and after sintering and worn surfaces were also investigated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and the wear types were determined. The optimum friction-wear behaviour was obtained in the sample compacted at 500 MPa and sintered at 820℃. Density of the final samples decreased with increasing the amount of reinforcing elements （ZrSiO4） before pre-sintering. However after sintering, there is no change in density of the samples including reinforcing elements （ZrSiO4）. With increasing friction surface temperature, a reduction in the friction coefficient of the samples was observed. However, the highest reductions in the friction coefficients were observed in the as-received samples containing 0. 5% reinforced ZrSiO4. The SEM images of the sample indicated that while bronze-based break lining material without ZrSiO4 showed abrasive wear behaviour, increasing the amount of ZrSiO4 resulted a change in abrasive to adhesive wear mechanism. All samples exhibited friction-wear values, which were within the values shown in SAE-J661 standard. With increasing the amount of reinforcing ZrSiO4, wear resistance of the samples was increased. However samples reinforced with 5% and 6% ZrSiO4 showed the best results.

Copper-Free Resin-Based Braking Materials:A New Approach for Substituting Copper with Fly-Ash Cenospheres in Composites

Copper particles emitted from braking have become a significant source of environmental pollution.However,copper plays a crucial role in resin-based braking materials.Developing high-performance braking materials without copper has become a significant challenge.In this paper,the resin-based braking materials were filled with flyash cenospheres to develop copper-free braking materials.The effects of fly-ash cenospheres on the physical properties,mechanical and friction and wear properties of braking materials were studied.Furthermore,the wear mechanism of copper-free resin-based braking materials filled with fly-ash cenospheres was discussed.The results indicate that the inclusion of fly-ash cenospheres in the braking materials improved their thermal stability,hardness and impact strength,reduced their density,effectively increased the friction coefficient at medium and high temperatures,and enhanced the heat-fade resistance of the braking materials.The inclusion of fly-ash cenospheres contributed to the formation of surface friction film during the friction process of the braking materials,and facilitated the transition of form from abrasive wear to adhesive wear.At 100-350℃,the friction coefficient of the optimal formulation is in the range of 0.57-0.61,and the wear rate is in the range(0.29-0.65)×10^(-7) cm^(3)·N^(-1)·m^(-1),demonstrating excellent resistance to heat-fade and stability in friction coefficient.This research proposes the use of fly-ash cenospheres as a substitute for environmentally harmful and expensive copper in brake materials,which not only improves the performance of braking materials but also reduces their costs.

The Dynamic Tribological Performance of One Certain Resin-based Friction Materials under Different Temperature Conditions

A fixed-point observation method was designed to research the dynamic tribological performance of one certain resin-based friction materials. The friction test was performed through a constant speed friction tester under various temperature conditions. It was found that the dynamic tribological performance of materials has a good consistency with the dynamic evolution of worn surfaces. At lower temperatures, the friction coefficient and wear rate were constant, resulted from the stable worn surfaces. At higher temperatures, the friction coefficient increased gradually, while the wear rate decreased, due to the increasing contact area and Fe concentration. A fade occurred above 250 ℃, which can be explained by the degradation of binders.

Numerical simulations on material flow behaviors in whole process of friction stir welding

A finite element model based on solid mechanics was developed with ABAQUS to study the material flow in wholeprocess of friction stir welding （FSW）, with the technique of tracer particles. Simulation results indicate that the flow pattern of thetracer particles around the pin is spiral movement. There are very different flow patterns at the upper and lower parts of the weld. Thematerial on the upper surface has the spiral downward movement that is affected by the shoulder and the lower material has the spiralupward movement that is affected by the pin. The velocity of the material flow on the periphery of the stirring pin is higher than thatat the bottom of the stirring pin. The material can be rotated with a stirring pin a few times, agreeing well with the previousexperimental observation by tungsten tracer particles.