RUBBER ABRASION AND WEAR

Abrasion processes in a highly elastic rubber surface are distinctly different from those of other materials of higher modulus. This review paper describes the main features of rubber abrasion. It is a topic that has received considerable attention over the years in view of its relationship to the wear of road tyres. Beginning with definitions, this paper describes the influence of rubber material properties, how abrasion is initiated, the development of surface abrasion on sharp and blunt tracks and the influence of smear and lubricants. The overall conclusion is that whilst for some simple contact geometries a reasonable prediction of abrasion rate can be made, in practice the wear of rubber articles remains difficult to predict.