Abstract
The rolling contact fatigue tests were carried out on high manganese austenitic steel to investigate the influence of Cr or Ni addition on the rolling contact fatigue strength by using a Nishihara-type wear testing machine under a lubricated state with a relative slip ratio of -9%.
The results obtained are summarized as follows:
(1) The rolling contact fatigue limit of high manganese austenitic steel containing Cr or Ni was lower than that of high manganese austenitic steel having the standard chemical composition.
(2) The rolling contact fatigue limit of high manganese austenitic steel remarkably increased by the work hardening phenomenon which is generated by repeated contact stress.
(3) A crack of high manganese austenitic steel propagated along the boundary of the work hardening zone and the unwork hardening zone in the parallel direction with the contact surface. Its depth was deeper than the region where the stress value calculated according to the maximum shearing stress theory reached the maximum.
