Development and investigation of non-asbestos organic friction materials with coconut shell powder as filler

The development of eco-friendly friction material (FM) with enhanced tribological and mechanical properties is a challenge to industrial engineers. This work presents an effort towards the development of non-asbestos material for friction lining using coconut shell powder (CSP). Nano-size CSP was prepared using crushing, grinding, and repeated sieving and the particle size analysis was done using Zeta potential particle size analyser. Two variants of friction materials were developed with CSP of nano-scale as filler and other ten constituents; designated as CSP15 and CSP30 and compared with commercial non-asbestos friction material (CSP0). The materials were subjected to thermal gravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, mechanical as well as physical properties determination, chase friction testing, and microstructural study. Based on the investigations, it can be concluded that the addition of nano-CSP results in a reduction of thermal decomposition rate, enhancement in mechanical and tribological properties of the developed FM. The microstructural study using SEM/EDS revealed that the developed materials (CSP15 and CSP30) are wear-resistant than commercial material (CSP0) and do not contain eco-hazardous copper.