Experiments were performed on 20 different types of materials to analyze the impact contact wear and to establish the wear mechanism map. The wear mechanism has been categorized into three prominent regions(delamination wear, quasi-nano wear and lamination-like wear) and is governed by two hardness thresholds(H_(dq) and H_(ql)). When the material hardness HcpH_(ql), the mechanism is lamination-like wear; however, when H_(cp) is between Hdq and H_(ql), the mechanism is determined to be quasi-nano wear. H_(dq) is determined to be the threshold hardness between delamination wear and quasi-nano wear that reflects the cracks being produced in the subsurface layer, whereas, H_(ql) is termed threshold hardness between quasi-nano wear and lamination-like wear with formation of nanostructure within the surface layer.
