Impact of post-curing duration on mechanical, thermal and tribological behavior of an organic friction material

• A long post curing duration improves friction materials mechanical properties.
• A long post curing duration improves friction materials wear performances.
• Post curing duration of organic friction materials affects friction mechanisms.
• Correlation between thermal and tribological properties.
• Correlation between wear rate and third body amount and composition.

This paper aimed to study the influence of post curing duration on mechanical, thermal and tribological behavior of friction materials elaborated with simplified formulation. Surface mechanical properties and thermal conductivity were analyzed and tribological behavior was studied for various thermal severities of sliding conditions. Results indicated that post curing for long duration allowed to reduce thermal conductivity and to homogenize the surface mechanical properties of the friction material. Concerning tribological behavior, it was shown that a longer post curing duration permitted to reduce the level of friction and to increase wear resistance. Worn surface morphology investigation using SEM revealed that wear and friction mechanisms involved in the contact were sensitive to post curing duration.