Abstract
In disc braking conditions, the contact is concentrated on preferential patches formed by the reinforcement particles abrasion at the pad side. This leads to local high pressures and local high temperature elevations on these patches. As the added particles are more wear resistant than phe- nolic material used as matrix in organic pads, the reinforcement debonding will locally induce important wear rate around formed cavity. Here is pre- sented a numerical model to predict the formation of these cavities on a Local Volume of Study (LVS) so as to evaluate pad global wear. A simplified case is considered with a phenolic matrix material only reinforced with spherical steel particles. The particle debonding probability is evaluated for di erent geometrical, mechanical and thermal conditions. The numerical results are compared with experimental tests performed on this phenolic based material. Correlations regarding temperature and pressure in uences are highlighted. Modelling the contact of a simpli ed material composition at particle scale could be a promising tool to predict the global wear of composite materials.