Abrasion resistance is a property of various materials to resist wear. The various materials which have received an abrasion resistant coating are employed in situations where mechanical wear and tear may occur. There are companies that manufacture products which are abrasion resistant for a host of applications including aero-space components and products which are custom manufactured to suit a unique situation or specification.
Once a material has been treated for abrasion resistance it can resist the effects of material erosion that can be the results of rubbing, scraping and other forms of wear, in this way the component will retain the design integrity as maintain the intended form. These properties are extremely important when the form of a given material is critical to the function; this is often the case where moving parts have been carefully machined to an exacting tolerance for maximum operational efficiency. Components that have an Abrasion Resistant Coating can be either moving or stationary, wherever wear is a critical factor.
Making material and components resistant to abrasion can be done in a number of ways; one common method is to use a special coating that results in a hard layer over the base material, this material resists friction. There are materials which are inherently suitable for applications which will be subject to abrasion and other materials have been and will continue to be developed exclusively for increased hardness. This has been seen in the plastics industry where new plastics have been developed which are resistant to abrasion, this has been accomplished with various chemicals.
It is important to understand that if something is resistant to abrasion it is not abrasion proof; sooner or later mechanical wear will eventually cause erosion of the surface resulting in a situation where the component shape has changed. To better understand this concept think of water. Over eons, water has created the Grand Canyon and worn down mountain ranges, eventually all man-made materials will be subject to a similar fate.
The processes used to make materials abrasion resistant add considerably to the cost of the component. Engineers must weigh whether this property is vital or whether replacing the component more frequently is more cost efficient. Companies that produce abrasion resistant products have accurate data available that gives an engineer with durability ratings based on material testing.
