Non-exhaust brake dust and pollution arising from metal, semi-metal, and ceramic brake pads have made recent research consider their replacement by potential natural fibers such as hemp, flax, sisal, etc. These natural fibers are lightweight, biodegradable, and cheap. This paper discusses the wear and friction analysis of hemp fiber reinforced polymer brake pad material. Three test specimens viz. HF4P20, HF5P20, and HF6P20 were prepared per ASTM G99 standards for the pin-on disc tribo-test. The test trials and validation were done using the Taguchi design of experiments and ANOVA. The optimum result showed a consistent coefficient of friction and lowered specific wear rate for HF6P20 brake pad material. Worn surface morphology was done using scanning electron microscopy.
Keywords: Taguchi optimization; analysis of variance; friction; hemp fibers; polymer composite; wear.