The influence of repeated high-energy engagements on the permeability of a paper-based wet clutch friction material

The behavior of a wet clutch during engagement is of great importance to the durability of the clutch and the drivability of a vehicle. While many different factors influence the engagement behavior, the focus of this paper is to investigate only one factor, the permeability of the wet clutch friction material. Two test cells for measuring the permeability of friction material mounted on clutch discs have been developed. The test cells were then used to examine the effect of clutch material ageing through clutch engagement on the permeability of the material. The tests were performed on full size friction discs including the steel core prior and subsequent to testing in a wet clutch engagement test rig. The ability of the friction material to allow for oil flow both through the sliding surface layer and the bulk of the material was measured. The results indicate that repeated clutch engagements will increase the bulk permeability. However, the repeated engagements will decrease the ability to pass fluid through the friction material sliding surface. This contradictory behavior could be explained by a combination of an increase in pore size through repeated compression and the surface glaze clogging of the friction interface surface pores.