EFFECT OF THE ALLOYING ELEMENTS ON THE PROPERTIES OF GRAY CAST IRON USED FOR AUTOMOTIVE BRAKE DISCS

Over time, the automotive industry has undergone transformations, in either of technologies or materials used in the composition of vehicles, in order to ensure safety and comfort of passengers. Thus, special attention is paid to the braking system of vehicles and the materials it is made of. This paper presents the comparative analysis of two types of experimental cast iron alloyed with Cu and Mo, used in the manufacture of brake discs. In this respect, the physico-chemical and microstructural properties are shown, as well as the mechanical and tribological tests carried out. The results are compared to those obtained when using a brake disc made of a standard cast iron. The experiments performed lead to the improvement of the physical-mechanical and tribological properties of the steels intended for the production of brake discs. Thus, at the same percentage of Cu but a higher percentage of Mo led to an increase in hardness, mechanical strength and wear resistance. © 2022, Politechnica University of Bucharest. All rights reserved.