This test again showed veryimpressively that a high surfacehardness does not automaticallymean that the protectionagainst wear is also very high.It depends on the respectivewear mechanism involved as tohow a material or material part-nering is to be assessed. Nitro-carburized running partnershave proved themselves to bevery good under adhesive wearconditions in particular. Theirtendency to seize is muchlower than that of other surfacelayers.