Abrasion groove sizes and shapes in relation to the mechanism of abrasion

Average abrasion profiles for polymer and metal surfaces abraded with emery cloth grades of 00, 320, 180, 100 and 40 have been obtained using a frictional method. Profiles using 180 grade silicon carbide abrasive are compared with those obtained using 180 emery abrasive. There is a simple relation between the slope β of a groove profile and the slope θ of the contact area-load curve of the form β = a − bθ where a and b are constants. As the abrasive grain size increases there is evidence of a sharp change in average groove profile at a particular grain size which depends on the abraded material. This appears to be due to a transition from ploughing to cutting. Secondary microroughness along the grooves produces a significant and surprisingly uniform influence on the results which appears to be largely independent of both the abrasive and the abraded material. The results are of interest in relation to the mechanism of wear.