Surface structure, friction and wear are investigated and correlated in the case of abrasion of graphite by emery papers of particle diameter D=5 to 150 microns. For graphite and also for metals, the coefficient of friction μ of specimens approximately 1 cm long or more is low on the fine grades of emery, but rises rapidly with increasing D and then is practically constant at D>50 microns. The ploughing component μ_p is concluded to be larger than the adhesion component μ_a when D is of the order of 30 microns or more. Earlier views that μ_p increases linearly with D and is always small are evidently incorrect.Electron diffraction shows that the abrasion causes a re-orientation of the graphite at and near the surface by plastic flow by slip on (0001). A [001] `fibre orientation' is developed (the usual compression texture) with its mean axis along the resultant of the normal load and the tangential frictional force, at tan^-1 μ (whatever the value of μ) to the specimen normal, towards the direction from which the abrasive particles came.The wear per unit distance M also rises rapidly with D and then shows a much slower rate of increase at D>80 microns. The plot of M against μ is a strongly curved locus at 200g load, and is still curved even at 25g load, for graphite; while for metals it is linear at least up to 2kg load (Goddard, Harker and Wilman 1959). The difference in nature of the abrasion is also seen microscopically; cracking and some breakaway of graphite fragments occurs near the individual grooves, and is associated with a volume-wear rate about four times that of metals, at D>50 microns.A method of comparing the hardnesses of the work-hardened surface regions of abraded materials in terms of abrasion-groove widths is described. For the graphite specimen used this is of the order of one-fifth that of silver; the effective Vickers hardness is thus of the order of 20, and this agrees with estimates made using a diamond indenter.