In engineering, wear resistance refers to the property of materials to resist wear and tear during normal operation. Wear resistance is a desirable property in moving parts such as bearings, wheels and tyres etc.
There are different mechanisms of wear. Some of them are adhesive, erosive, cavitation and fretting. Wear generally occurs as a combination of different mechanisms.
All materials have wear resistance as a standard specification of materials.
Wear resistance is evaluated by specialized tests which simulate normal operation.
By understanding the level of wear expected during normal operation, materials can be made wear resistant. Wear resistance can be achieved by special manufacturing process and appropriate choice of materials.
There are also other types of wear resistance methods such as special coatings and sprays.