Damping and microstructures of brake rotor materials

Flexural damping factors and flexural moduli of grey cast iron used for making automotive brake rotors and drums were measured from room temperature up to 700°C. The experiments were realized by the half power bandwidth method and the impulse–frequency response technique. Measurements were conducted on samples with different graphite flake morphologies and different Type A graphite flake sizes. The goal of this research was to study damping behaviour and the influence on damping behaviour of different morphologies, in order to ascertain that the best cast iron microstructure for suppressing brake noise and vibration is used for brake components.