Abstract
experience mechanical damage when they are exposed to a
corrosive environment. A typical solid surface like a brake pad
has a complex structure and complex properties depending on
the nature of the solids, the method of surface preparation, and
the interaction between the surface and the environment. The
surface roughness of a novel friction linings prepared using
varying palm kernel shell (PKS) powder particle sizes (0.300
mm, 0.425 mm and 0.850 mm) as reinforcements were
investigated. The investigation was conducted via a profilometer
dotted with a diamond stylus at a speed of 0.2 mm/s. The
determined surface roughness parameters values were in
ascending order with S0.300 having the least values (Ra = 6.13
μm, Rz = 24.04 μm and Rmax = 37.3 μm) and S0.850 having the
highest values (Ra = 9.87 μm, Rz = 37.28 μm and Rmax = 53.8
μm). This was an indication that the roughness characteristics of
the reinforced composite were associated to the presence of
pulverised PKS particles. It was further shown by scanning
electron microscope images that pulverised PKS grain sizes by
nature have rough surfaces and this could have contributed to the
overall roughness behaviour of the reinforced composite since
PKS was the only ingredient with grain size variation in the
experiment.