Rolling Contact Fatigue Life and Spall Propagation Characteristics of AISI M50, M50 NiL, and AISI 52100. Part 1. Experimental Results (Preprint)
Abstract
This paper is the first part of a three-part series which investigates the rolling contact fatigue (RCF) initiation and spall propagation characteristics of three bearing materials, namely AISI 52100, VIM-V AR AISI M50, and VIM-V AR M50NiL steels. Although there is substantial prior work published on the rolling contact fatigue initiation of these materials, little has been published on their spall propagation characteristics after spall initiation. It is recognized that rapid spall growth can lead to catastrophic bearing failure. Hence, understanding the spall growth phase and factors which may cause accelerated growth rates is key to achieving a reliable and robust bearing design. The end goal is to identify control parameters for optimizing bearing materials for improved spall growth resistance. This first part study features the experimental results from 208-size (40 mm bore) angular-contact ball bearings endurance life tested at maximum Hertzian contact stress levels of 3.10 GPa and bearing outer race temperatures up to 131?C. Spall propagation experiments were conducted on new and life tested bearings at 2.10 and 2.4 1 GPa maximum contact stress.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA510506
Entities
People
- Jason W. Cooke
- Kevin L. Thompson
- Lewis Rosado
- Nelson H. Forster
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory