Untreated Aluminum Alloy 6082 95 - 115
Mild (low carbon) Steel 120 - 210
Stainless steel 120-220 (up to 700)
Hard Anodized Aluminum Alloy 6082 389 - 570
Chrome plating 600-800
Silica (sand, agate) 1000
Titanium carbide 1200-2000
Chromium carbide 1200-2000
ceramic alloys 2400
We also need to note that abrasiveness of one agent on another is dependent upon the variables of hardness of the abrasive agent versus the metal being abraided, speed and time of movement, tension/pressure the abrasive is applied, and the surface area of contact.
II Abrasion and the Fly rod
In the fly rod/fly line system, the line is obviously the softest and would not normally be thought to be abrasive. But make no mistake, given enough time, speed, and pressure, a soft fly line (replaced many times) could and will groove a significantly harder metal. But the abrasiveness of new, clean fly line is not the serious issue. Unfortunately, even if fly line only comes in contact with water, it picks up a scum of floating debris composed of some much harder agents such as dirt and sand (silica), which would be the most abrasive. There is virtually no way to prevent or eliminate an abrasive surface from accumulating on a fly line. One can somewhat reduce abrasiveness by regular cleaning of the line. But cleaning only removes the free surface abrasives which accumulate quickly with ANY use….and even faster if lubricants and floatants are applied to the line. Worse are the particles embedded in the soft surface of the line that are forcibly drug across a surface. Most of those embedded particles are NOT going to be removed by cleaning. Fly line WILL be abrasive to a lesser or greater degree, cleaned or not. The older and more use on a line, the more embedded abrasives accumulate. If the fly line develops cracks, the treasure trove of abrasives that fill in further seriously up the ante. But, the degree of abrasiveness, new or old, clean or dirty, is an