The influence of mechanical action and tribochemical effects on the material removal mechanism during accelerated wear of silicon nitride balls was investigated. It was found that the tribochemical effects are more effective in material removal than the mechanical action of abrasive particles present in the slurry. Mechanical action is governed by the applied load, amount of slip within the contact area and the size of abrasive particles, while tribochemical effects depend mainly on the type of lubricating liquid used and the chemical nature of additives.