Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jee-Hyun Kang, Jungwoong Kim, Jun-Yun Kang, Soon-Woo Kwon, Min-Woo Kang, Seung Hyun Hong
Summary: This study provides an in-depth characterization of the formation mechanism of the dark-etching region (DER) caused by rolling contact fatigue in bearing steel. The results reveal that the accumulation of plastic flow and dynamic recrystallization contribute to the hardness reduction and etching behavior, which may lead to spalling of the bearing.
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Dallin Morris, Farshid Sadeghi
Summary: The study found that increasing RA volume fractions did not improve rolling contact fatigue lives. Little RA decomposition was observed during rolling contact fatigue testing. The continuum damage mechanics finite element model captured behavior similar to experimental results.
FATIGUE & FRACTURE OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS & STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering
Kohei Kanetani, Taku Moronaga, Toru Hara, Kohsaku Ushioda
Summary: Deformation-induced martensitic transformation significantly enhances the mechanical properties of steels and benefits the rolling contact fatigue of bearings. Detailed investigation reveals that extremely fine deformation-induced martensites are formed within austenite grains, speculated to have specific relationships with retained austenite. The martensites are preferentially formed within retained austenite grains, indicating localized regions within the grains where plasticity is introduced.
ISIJ INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hui Guo, Xuequan Rong, Bin Hu, Masato Enomoto, Chengjia Shang
Summary: The distribution and morphology of retained austenite in low Mn steel were found to be greatly influenced by cold rolling, which in turn affected the mechanical properties. This study investigated a low-carbon low manganese steel containing 2% Cu and found that cold rolling prior to annealing improved the tensile strength and uniform elongation of the material.
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING A-STRUCTURAL MATERIALS PROPERTIES MICROSTRUCTURE AND PROCESSING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Srikakulapu Kiranbabu, Lutz Morsdorf, Ivan Gonzalez, Michael Koelling, Christian Bross, Dirk Ponge, Michael Herbig, David Mayweg
Summary: This study investigates the causes of white etching cracks (WECs) in wind turbine gearbox (WTGB) bearings. The results show that the presence of MnS inclusions is a key factor in the initiation of WECs in WTGB bearings.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ersoy Erisir, Ozge Ararat, Oguz Gurkan Bilir
Summary: This study investigated the influence of initial microstructure on the final microstructure and wear performance of bearing steels. It was found that martensitic and bainitic initial microstructures can significantly reduce the size of carbides in the final microstructure, resulting in higher hardness and outstanding wear resistance.
METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A-PHYSICAL METALLURGY AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Liqi Yang, Weihai Xue, Siyang Gao, Linlong Li, Yanfei Cao, Hongwei Liu, Deli Duan, Dianzhong Li, Shu Li
Summary: The study investigates the influence of rare earth (RE) addition on the rolling contact fatigue (RCF) behavior of M50 bearing steel. Results show that RE addition significantly improves the RCF life, and the fatigue life is increased by 96.2%, 61.7% and 55.0% for L10, L50, and LVS, respectively. The study also provides a criterion for RCF failure types for M50 bearing steel.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FATIGUE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Ba Hieu Nguyen, Ali Al-Juboori, Hongtao Zhu, Qiang Zhu, Huijun Li, Kiet Tieu
Summary: This study systematically investigates the formation mechanism and evolution of white etching layers (WELs) on standard carbon (SC) rail and head hardened (HH) rail. The results show that repeated rolling contact influences the formation and distribution of WELs, and HH rail is more susceptible to WELs than SC rail.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FATIGUE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Lanwen Wang, Xuanyu Sheng, Zhimeng Yao, Jianbin Luo
Summary: A coupled mechanical-diffusion peridynamic(PD) fatigue model is proposed to simulate hydrogen-assisted white etching cracks in bearing steel under rolling contact fatigue. The PD model of microstructural alteration based on the dislocation-assisted carbon migration theory is used to simulate the formation of dark etching region and white etching area, and its validity is demonstrated by experimental observations. The PD stress-assisted diffusion model is utilized to simulate the diffusion of hydrogen, and then the polycrystalline fatigue simulation is implemented to analyze the evolution of hydrogen-assisted white etching cracks. The effects of contact conditions and internal inclusions on the evolution of white etching cracks are also discussed in this study.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FATIGUE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Yi-Bo Wang, Shu-Xin Li, Si-Yuan Lu, Jun Cao
Summary: The butterfly white etching area formed at subsurface inclusions during rolling contact fatigue of bearing steel was studied using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Two different orientations of butterfly white etching areas were observed at non-metallic inclusions: largely sheared and narrow band morphologies. Both involve the transformation from body-centered-cubic to face-centered-cubic, which is different from previously reported butterfly white etching areas consisting of only ferrite nanocrystallines.
TRIBOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Xiaotong Zhu, Jinzhi Pan, Deyi Liu, Xiujuan Zhao, Ruiming Ren
Summary: This research studied the impacts of the surface ultrasonic rolling process (SURP) on G20Cr2Ni4A carburized bearing steel, including surface morphology, microstructure, residual stress distribution, and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) properties. The results showed that SURP not only reduced surface roughness, but also enhanced residual compressive stress and hardness, improving the resistance to surface cracks and enhancing RCF life. Microscopic analysis revealed that fatigue cracks easily formed between the ground layer and the matrix, causing spalling and shortening fatigue life. SURP prevented the formation of fatigue cracks and improved contact fatigue life.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jun Guo, Aimin Zhao, Maosheng Yang
Summary: Rolling contact fatigue (RCF) of vacuum induction melted-vacuum arc remelted (VIM-VAR) M50 bearing steel under high loads was investigated using a three-ball-rod RCF tester. Dark etching regions (DER) and butterflies were observed below the raceway surface. Carbon atoms migrated through high-density dislocations, causing the transformation of martensite plates into cellular ferrites. Butterflies were initiated in the primary carbides and transformed martensite into nanocrystalline ferrites during the extension of fatigue cracks.
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Gopalakrishnan Ravi, Wim De Waele, Ksenija Nikolic, Roumen Petrov, Stijn Hertel
Summary: Bearing failure can occur in various machinery and is often caused by rolling contact fatigue (RCF) triggered by damage initiation at non-metallic inclusions (NMI's). This study focuses on numerically investigating the impact of NMI features and bonding with the steel matrix on damage initiation lifetime. Simulation results indicate an immediate debonding at the matrix-inclusion interface followed by accelerated crack initiation. The depth for damage initiation shifts towards the surface with increasing friction coefficient between roller and raceway, and larger inclusions demonstrate earlier damage initiation.
TRIBOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ksenija Nikolic, Vitoria Mattos Ferreira, Loic Malet, Tom Depover, Kim Verbeken, Roumen H. Petrov
Summary: This work characterized the microstructure of a damaged bearing from the field to better understand the microstructural features behind the formation of White Etching Cracks (WEC) in bearings. The microstructural characterization of the altered white etching area (WEA) involved conventional electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD). The results showed that the orientation of detectable grains within WEA is similar to that of the bulk material, and WEA consists of small spherical grains (average 30 nm) with significant variation in grain orientation, indicating recrystallization had occurred.
MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Yun-Shuai Su, Shu-Xin Li, Feng Yu, Si-Yuan Lu, Yong-Gang Wang
Summary: This study explores the common origin of the shear band (SB) and white etching area (WEA) in bearing steel under shear plastic deformation, revealing that they can both be considered as shear localization under large plastic deformation. The study compares the microstructures of SB and WEA, providing new insights into the origin and formation mechanism of WEA, and enhancing the understanding of bearing failure under rolling contact fatigue.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FATIGUE
(2021)
