The paper concerns evaluation of the coefficient of friction characterising a friction couple comprising a commercial brake disc cast of
flake graphite grey iron and a typical brake pad for passenger motor car. For the applied interaction conditions, the brake pressure of
0.53 MPa and the linear velocity measured on the pad-disc trace axis equalling 15 km/h, evolution of the friction coefficient μ values were
observed. It turned out that after a period of 50 minutes, temperature reached the value 270°C and got stabilised. After this time interval,
the friction coefficient value also got stabilised on the level of μ = 0.38. In case of a block in its original state, stabilisation of the friction
coefficient value occurred after a stage in the course of which a continuous growth of its value was observed up to the level μ = 0.41 and
then a decrease to the value μ = 0.38. It can be assumed that occurrence of this stage was an effect of an initial running-in of the friction
couple. In consecutive abrasion tests on the same friction couple, the friction coefficient value stabilisation occurred after the stage of
a steady increase of its value. It can be stated that the stage corresponded to a secondary running-in of the friction couple. The observed
stages lasted for similar periods of time and ended with reaching the stabile level of temperature of the disc-pad contact surface.
The main purpose of this study is to analyze the thermomechanical behavior of the dry contact between the brake disc and pads during the braking phase. The simulation strategy is based on softawe ANSYS11. The modeling of transient temperature in the disc brake is actually used to identify the factor of geometric design of the disc to install the ventilation system in vehicles. The thermal-structural analysis is then used with coupling to determine the deformation established and the Von Mises stress in the disc, the contact pressure distribution in pads. The results are satisfactory compared to those of the specialized literature.