Rolling Contact Fatigue and Fracture Toughness of Rolling Element Bearing Materials

抄録

To clarify rolling contact fatigue strength in terms of fracture mechanics, various flaking modes in practical rolling bearings, the relationship between rolling contact fatigue life and fracture toughness in Mode I, and recent studies on crack initiation and propagation through fracture mechanics are reviewed. Surface-origin-type flaking is becoming more important than the traditional subsurface-origin type as nonmetallic inclusion in steels is reduced. A new flaking mechanism wherein tensile residual stress in the radial direction in the subsurface initiates cracking has emerged and was verified by an experiment. Another new type of flaking, referred to as brittle flaking, was reported ; here cracks are remarkably numerous, large and deep, accompanied by a new type of microstructural change. The cause of the brittle flaking was assumed to be tribological reaction on the raceway which decomposes the lubricant to cause hydrogen embrittlement. To establish a new bearing life calculation equation, it is necessary to create proper models for the various failure modes and to measure fracture toughness in Mode II.