Effect of abrasive particle size distribution on the wear rate and wear mode in micro-scale abrasive wear tests

In this work, the particle size distribution of two powders was initially analyzed, indicating an approximately normal (Gaussian) distribution with average particle size on the order of 2 μm in one case and 6 μm in the other. Both powders were composed of silicon carbide (SiC) particles. The two original powders were then mixed with different mass fractions, providing a series of SiC powders that were used in micro-scale abrasive tests with fixed-ball configuration. The wear tests were conducted on ASTM 1020 carbon steel and results were analyzed in terms of wear rate as well as wear mode (“rolling abrasion” or “grooving abrasion”). Results have indicated that the mass fraction of the original powders has a significant effect on the wear modes observed at the micro-scale level and that the wear rate does not follow a direct relationship with the mass fraction of the powder with larger average particle size.