The friction and abrasive wear of blends of polystyrene (PS) and poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) were measured. The coefficient of friction decreases only slightly with an increasing PPO fraction, while the abrasive wear decreases largely upon the introduction of increasing amounts of PPO. It is clearly shown that the abrasive wear resistance of the PS/PPO blends increases with an increasing strain hardening modulus of the blend. The wear rate change between 20 and 40 wt % PPO is ascribed to a transition in the failure mechanism from predominantly brittle to predominantly tough. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.