A high-performance copper-based brake pad for high-speed railway trains and its surface substance evolution and wear mechanism at high temperature

Abstract High temperature is one of the most basic challenges faced by copper-based brake pads in emergency braking of high-speed railway train. Here, a novel copper-based brake pad was prepared and its tribological properties in the temperature ranging of 400–800 °C were studied by pin-on-disc tribometer equipped with heating chamber. The results show that compared with commercial copper-based brake pad, self-designed copper-based brake pad exhibits higher mean friction coefficient and smaller fluctuation of friction coefficient under all test conditions. The friction coefficient of self-designed copper-based brake pad is in the range of 0.35–0.45 at the temperatures up to 600 °C. At 800 °C, the failure mechanism of copper-based brake pad is related to the properties of graphite and copper. Graphite on the friction surface disappears after severe oxidation, resulting in the loss of lubrication of friction interface. Copper undergoes oxidation and softening. Oxidation makes copper unable to promote the formation of stable tribo-film, and the low-strength copper matrix after softening cannot effectively support the friction surface. Therefore, one of the key principles to design high-performance copper-based brake pad is to increase the oxidation resistance of graphite and the high temperature strength of copper matrix.