Archard Wear Coefficient Formula |
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\( K \;=\; \dfrac{ V \cdot H }{ W \cdot L }\) (Archard Wear Coefficient) \( V \;=\; \dfrac{ K \cdot W \cdot L }{ H }\) \( H \;=\; \dfrac{ K \cdot W \cdot L }{ V }\) \( W \;=\; \dfrac{ V \cdot H }{ K \cdot L }\) \( L \;=\; \dfrac{ V \cdot H }{ K \cdot W }\) |
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| Symbol | English | Metric |
| \( K \) = Archard Wear Coefficient | \(dimensionless\) | \(dimensionless\) |
| \( V \) = Wear Volume | \(in^3\) | \(mm^3\) |
| \( H \) = Hardness of the Softest Contacting Material (psi) | \(lbf \;/\; in^2\) | \(Pa\) |
| \( W \) = Normal Load (Force) | \(lbf\) | \(N\) |
| \( L \) = Sliding Distance | \(in\) | \(mm\) |
Archard wear coefficient, abbreviated as \(K\) or \(k\), also called wear coefficient, a dimensionless number, determines the severity of wear between two contacting surfaces undergoing relative motion. It appears in Archard’s wear equation, where it represents the proportionality between the wear volume produced and the applied load and sliding distance, normalized by the hardness of the softer material.
Physically, the wear coefficient reflects the probability that an microscopic interaction will result in material removal rather than elastic or plastic deformation without wear. Its value depends strongly on factors such as material pair, surface roughness, lubrication, temperature, and the dominant wear mechanism (for example, adhesive, abrasive, or mild oxidative wear). Small values of the Archard wear coefficient indicate mild wear with good lubrication or compatible materials, while larger values indicate severe wear conditions where material removal is more likely at each contact event.
