Assessment of the Combined effects of Pulverized Cow Hooves and Bamboo Fibre on the Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Fabricated Brake Pads

1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, P.M.B. 1036 Owerri, Nigeria
2Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 1526 Owerri, Nigeria
3Department of Polymer Engineering, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 1526 Owerri, Nigeria.

Automobile brake pad samples were fabricated using cow hooves and bamboo fibres as sustainable biofillers. The objective was to evaluate the combined effects of these two fillers on the thermal and mechanical properties of the fabricated brake pads. The fillers were first characterized using thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrophotometer. Nine (9) sample formulations were prepared (01 = formulation without bamboo fibre; 02 = formulation without cow hooves filler; and 1 – 7 = formulations with combined varying amounts of cow hooves filler and bamboo fibre) and fabricated using a compression moulding machine. The thermal conductivity, melting temperature, tensile, compressive, flexural and hardness properties of the fabricated brake pad samples were characterized. Resultantly, it was observed that the brake pad sample 7 with cow hoof to bamboo fibre ratio of 2:8 exhibited highest thermal conductivity. Further, sample 7 containing highest amount of bamboo fibre was found to exhibit the highest ultimate tensile strength (UTS) value of 13.339 MPa, highest % elongation at break value of 17.081, and highest compressive strength value of 31.253 MPa. Interestingly, this study has established that using TGA and FT-IR characterization techniques, cow hooves and bamboo fibres can be thermally stable above 400 oC, and they have chemical compounds with inherent self-lubricating functionality required for brake pad fabrication. Thus, sample 7 with cow hoof to bamboo fibre ratio of 1:4 displayed optimum performance.

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