The wear resistance is not an intrinsic property of materials but depends on the operating conditions, design properties, type of abrasive and material properties. In this work the results of microindentation tests in different hard particles of wear resistant alloys and composites, as well as in bulk materials are presented. Continuous monitoring the load and the indenter penetration depth it is possible to obtain in situ important properties in the wear process of the alloy microconstituents. With this technique it was possible to determine the hardness H, the fracture toughness K IC, the Young modulus E and the relationship between the plastic and elastic work of deformation Wp / We. Since in many practical situations the process temperature is an important parameter, its influence on some of these properties is also considered. The results show that this technique may constitute a helpful tool in the process of selecting suitable microconstituents for wear resistant materials.
