Application of the MULTIMOORA Method to Evaluate Performance Results of Red Mud Reinforced Bronze Matrix Brake Pads

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the MULTIMOORA method strengthened with AHP to select the most suitable pad material among metal matrix composite brake pad materials reinforced with different proportions of red mud according to the criteria determining the efficiency of brake performance. For this purpose, five different brake pad samples reinforced with red mud, an industrial waste, at different weight ratios (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%) were produced and the physical, mechanical, and tribological properties of the pro-duced materials were characterized. Tribological characterization tests were carried out in accordance with TSE 555 using a specially designed brake dynamometer. The average coefficient of friction, specific wear rate, friction stability, hardness, density, and TRS values, which repre-sent important performance indicators of the pad material, were used as criteria for the selec-tion of pad material. According to the AHP method, the importance levels of these criteria in terms of brake performance were determined as 0.423, 0.205, 0.205, 0.088, 0.051, and 0.028, respectively. As a result of the evaluation made using the MULTIMOORA and MOOSRA method, it was determined that the RM-8 sample showed the best result in terms of brake performance among all samples. In addition, this material was followed by RM-6, RM-4, RM-0 and RM-2 samples, respectively. The findings of this study indicate that the MULTIMOORA method is an effective and reliable approach for selecting the optimal pad material among alterna-tives, according to the specified criteria.