A model is proposed which explains the penetrative wear of a soft material by a harder one. Three distinct modes of penetration are present depending on the applied load. During the most severe penetration plate-like wear debris is ejected at the leading edge of the slider. A series of slip line fields is presented to approximate this debris formation process. Plastic constraint is seen to be an important factor in wear particle formation.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/22217/1/0000650.pd
