Influence of Copper/Graphite Properties on the Tribological and Electrical Behavior of Copper-Graphite Third Body Layer

Abstract

The understanding of rail braking is irrevocably dependent on the tribological analysis of contacts such as the wheel/rail contact or the wheel/brake disc contact. Because it is very complex to experimentally analyze the inside of a contact, a numerical approach based on discrete element modeling was used to model a third body composed of copper and graphite, the main elements present in sintered brake materials. Simulations were analyzed by measuring several global quantities as a function of the proportion of copper and the local properties of the material to determine the extent to which local parameters influence the electrical and tribological properties of the third body. Among the results noted was the fact that a certain proportion of mixture makes it possible to achieve a balance between electrical and tribological properties.