Brake Pad Characteristics of Natural Fiber Composites from Coconut Fibre and Wood Powder

The aim of the research is to develop brake pad of natural fibre composite from coconut fiber waste and wood powder. The characteristics of hardness, braking time and wear compared to the commercial brake pad had been studied. Test samples were produced by varying content of coconut fiber from 0 - 40% weight, wood powder content from 40% - 0 weight with 10% intervals. The percentage of polyester resin was made constant. The process of mixing ingredients started from filtering coconut fiber and wood powder using a filter with mesh size 40 μm. Then, the materials combined with certain composition into a container and stirred until evenly mixed. The composite poured into the mold was design appropriate the motorcycle disc brake pad dimensions. The test results of natural fiber composites on brake pads showed different characteristic values on hardness, wear, and braking time tests.