Abrasive wear is a surface-damage process with material loss caused by hard asperities or abrasive particles occurring when two surfaces are sliding against each other. There are two types of abrasive wear: two-body abrasion and three-body abrasion.
Grinding with a surface grinder can be a controlled form of low stress abrasion. The low stress qualifier means that the abradant is imposed on the surface with relatively low normal forces. The operating forces must be low enough to prevent crushing the abradant. Low stress abrasion rates are directly proportional to the sliding distance and the load on the particles or protuberances. The wear rate is significantly reduced by hard micro constituents within the surface microstructure (embedded carbides for example).
The ASTM G65 test simulates sliding abrasion conditions under moderate pressure, using dry sand metered between a rubber wheel and a block coupon of the material being evaluated. The test allows comparison of wear-resistant materials by their volume loss in cubic millimeters, with materials of higher wear resistance showing lower volume loss.
It occurs when a hard rough surface slides across a softer surface. ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) defines it as the loss of material due to hard particles or hard protuberances that are forced against and move along a solid surface. Abrasive wear is commonly classified according to the type of contact and the contact environment. The type of contact determines the mode of abrasive wear.
The three major mechanisms related to abrasive wear are:
Fragmentation - This takes place when a certain material is separated from a façade through a cutting process. This results in indenting abrasive that can cause localized fracture within the wear material. Cracks spread freely throughout the wear, leading to further material removal.
Cutting - This occurs when a material separates from a surface in tiny chips or debris, with only minimal or no displacement to both of the groove sides. This is similar to conventional machining.
Plowing - This occurs when there is material displacement sideways, moving away from the particles of wear. This results in groove formation that does not involve removal of material. The displaced material creates ridges along the grooves that may be eliminated by consequent abrasive material passage.
