Cure kinetics of a composite friction material with phenolic resin/rubber compounds as organic binder

Cure kinetics of a friction material with different proportions of rubber/resin as organic binders are investigated. The effect of including two different phenolic resins with different B-transformation times is also analysed. An experimental characterisation is done using both a moving die rheometer and an industrial press. Then, predictive models based on Kamal-Sourour, Isayev, and Claxton-Liska equations are defined. Results showed that a higher amount of resin delivered lower induction times and better fitted phenomenological methods. Higher content of resin and resin with lower B-transformation time led to faster curing reactions at laboratory and industrial scales. Samples with no resin presented an induction time that greatly depended on temperature and fitted worse than the models.