This book provides a comprehensive overview of abrasive wear, one of the most common forms of wear in industrial and agricultural production, which consumes vast amounts of materials and energy and contributes to environmental pollution. From crushers and ball mills in the cement and metallurgical industries to coal mills in the power sector, as well as the wear of vehicle tires and gears, abrasive wear plays a critical role in both energy consumption and material loss.

The study of abrasive wear belongs to the broader field of tribology, a multidisciplinary discipline that requires collaboration among physicists, chemists, mechanicians, materials scientists, and mechanical engineers. Reflecting this diversity, this book integrates knowledge from mechanics, physics, materials science, and computational methods, including contact mechanics, fatigue theory, finite element analysis, Monte Carlo simulations, and molecular dynamics.

Drawing on the author’s decades of research and incorporating findings from other scholars, this book aims to provide a preliminary understanding of the fundamental processes of abrasive wear. More importantly, it seeks to offer researchers and practicing engineers new perspectives and practical guidance for tackling real-world problems.

This book is intended for graduate students, academic researchers, and industry professionals engaged in tribology, physics, materials science, mechanical engineering, and related fields.

Liang Fang is a professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJU), China. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from XJU, and earned his Ph.D. from Harbin Institute of Technology, China, in 1991. He was a visiting scholar at the National Physical Laboratory, United Kingdom, in 1997; at Karlsruhe University and FZK, Germany, in 2000; and at Keio University, Japan, in 2003. He served as a Distinguished Professor at the China University of Mining and Technology from 2005 to 2010, and as Dean of the College of Engineering, Huaqiao University (Xiamen), from 2010 to 2014.

His main research interests include the theory of material wear, tribology and tribological materials, CNC machining technology for polymer foam materials, heat and mass transfer phenomena in material processing, and materials for lithium-ion and solar cells.

After retiring from Xi'an Jiaotong University, the author continues to engage in research in tribology and is currently employed at Xiamen University Tan Kah Kee College, where he continues his teaching career. This book was completed during that time.