Design and Production of a Brake Pad Using Coconut Shell as Base Material

Automotive brake friction materials are an important part in brake and clutch devices. Friction materials used for brake pad/linings are obtainable from the simple formulation containing some elements to complex composites with as much as 20 ormore elements. This research presents the use of an organic-based (mainly agro-based) formulation as base materials for theproduction of automobile brake pad/lining and for other industrial applications with a view to replacing the use of asbestos whose dust is carcinogenic. The research involves the preparation of experimental materials by addition in percentage weight ofgraphite, coconut shell powder, zinc barite, carbon black resin, oxide, friction dust, and brass powder as 2.1,2.5,1.3,1.4,0.2,0.7,0.5, and 0.6 wt. % respectively in that order. Test samples were produced by steel molding method and machined to the standardsize for the purpose of determining quality bonding, hardness value and swell-growth. The result obtained show a standardhomogenous bonded experimental brake pad/lining having a Brinell hardness value (BHN) of about 32.3 and swell growth of0.625%