Full definition
The ability of a material to resist progressive removal of surface material through friction, sliding, or erosion — one of the most important practical properties for industrial rubber products. Measured per ASTM D5963 (DIN abrasion test, rotary drum method): a rubber sample is pressed against a rotating drum covered with calibrated abrasive paper; result expressed as volume loss in mm³ (lower = better). Alternative test: ASTM D394 (Pico abrasion). Performance ranking by material type: polyurethane PU (best, 20-50 mm³), natural rubber NR (80-120 mm³), SBR (100-200 mm³), EPDM (150-300 mm³), neoprene CR (150-250 mm³), nitrile NBR (100-250 mm³), silicone VMQ (worst, 200-400+ mm³). For conveyor belt covers, abrasion classes per ISO 14890: H (≤120 mm³), D (≤150 mm³), L (≤200 mm³). Abrasion resistance correlates strongly with tensile strength, resilience, and carbon black loading. Real-world wear depends on particle size, hardness, impact angle, and moisture. PU is 3-10x superior to NR in fine-particle sliding abrasion but NR outperforms in large-particle impact abrasion.