The effect of graphite addition on the mechanical and tribological properties of pitch-based granular carbon composites

The present work deals with the effect of graphite addition on selected mechanical and tribological properties of pitch-based granular carbon composites. Three pitches (a commercial impregnating coal tar pitch, an air-blown pitch and a thermally treated coal tar pitch) and anthracite particles as reinforcing material were used to prepare carbon composites to be tested as carbon brake pads. These carbon composites show good compression strength (from 25.8 to 94.2 MPa) but unstable and high friction coefficients (>0.5). Experimental results have showed that small amounts of graphite addition (2.5 and 5.0 wt%) lead to carbon materials with more stable and lower friction coefficient (<0.3). So, graphite addition promoted the reduction in the wear rate. Finally, compressive strength of carbon composites prepared with modified pitches significantly increases after addition of small amounts of graphite with values from 94 to 128.8 MPa.