Fatigue Crack Propagation in Bearing Metals Lining on Steel Plates in Lubricating Oil

Abstract

In the present paper, the wedge action of oil in the fatigue crack is calculated by using a simple crack model. The wedge action affects the propagation of fatigue crack on account of the viscosity of the oil and also of the repeated velocity of applied stress and it is more effective under smaller stress amplitude. To confirm the effects of the wedge action, fatigue tests are carried out on bearing metals lining on steel plates in pure mineral oil and in an oil with oleic acid under various stress frequencies. In pure oil, the experimental results are found to agree considerably well with the results of calculation. In an activated oil, however, the frequency effects on the crack rate decrease due to the reduction of wedge action on account of the crack width enlarged by corrosion.