Blade abrasion devices have previously been used to investigate the abrasion resistance of different elastomers. Despite extensive investigation previously the exact mechanisms that are present during abrasion continue to be a subject of debate. This investigation examines the effect of the normal and frictional forces on the rate and direction of crack growth during the abrasion process. Comparison is drawn between the rates of material loss as measured experimentally under a range of test conditions and the predictions calculated using a fracture mechanics based finite element analysis. These models can predict the rate of any resulting tearing process. To do this a series of different finite element models were developed to investigate the tearing processes at a specific asperity under each revolution or pass of the abrasion blade. From this work insight into the nature of the abrasion processes is gained.
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