Abstract
In this research, the effects of water contamination in oil were investigated on two kinds of failures that occur in bearing steel: micropitting and rolling contact fatigue. Whereas the presence of water in the oil had little effect on the generation of surface wear in these experiments, increases in the occurrences of micropitting and rolling contact fatigue were observed due to the presence of either dissolved or free water in lubricants. Additionally, the presence of white etching matter at crack interfaces was observed and evaluated. The experimental results showed that water content can be considered as a significant factor that accelerates the formation of micropitting and fatigue cracks in rolling bearings.
Issue Section:
Contact Mechanics
Keywords:
boundary lubrication,
elastohydrodynamic lubrication,
lubricant degradation,
rolling element bearings,
rolling fatigue,
surface fatigue and fretting,
surface roughness and asperities,
wear mechanisms
Topics:
Fatigue,
Rollers,
Rolling contact,
Water,
Fracture (Materials),
Wear,
Bearings,
Lubricants,
Contamination,
Stress
References
1.
Schatzbe
, P.
, and Felsen
, I. M.
, 1968
, “Effects of Water and Oxygen During Rolling Contact Lubrication
,” Wear
, 12
(5
), pp. 331
–342
. 2.
Schatzbe
, P.
, 1971
, “Inhibition of Water-Accelerated Rolling-Contact Fatigue
,” ASME J. Lubr. Technol.
, 93
(2
), pp. 231
–233
. 3.
Cantley
, R. E.
, 1977
, “The Effect of Water in Lubricating Oil on Bearing Fatigue Life
,” ASLE Trans.
, 20
(3
), pp. 244
–248
. 4.
Soltanahmadi
, S.
, Morina
, A.
, van Eijk
, M. C.
, Nedelcu
, I.
, and Neville
, A.
, 2017
, “Tribochemical Study of Micropitting in Tribocorrosive Lubricated Contacts: The Influence of Water and Relative Humidity
,” Tribol. Int.
, 107
, pp. 184
–198
. 5.
Echin
, A. I.
, Novosartov
, G. T.
, and Popova
, E. A.
, 1981
, “Hygroscopicity of Synthetic Oils
,” Chem. Technol. Fuels Oils
, 17
(3–4
), pp. 198
–200
. 6.
Lancaster
, J. K.
, 1990
, “A Review of the Influence of Environmental Humidity and Water on Friction, Lubrication and Wear
,” Tribol. Int.
, 23
(6
), pp. 371
–389
. 7.
Fitch
, J. C.
, and Jaggernauth
, S.
, 1994
, “Moisture—The Second Most Destructive Lubricant Contaminate, and Its Effects on Bearing Life
,” P/PM Technol.
, 12
, pp. 1
–4
.8.
Grunberg
, L.
, and Scott
, D.
, 1958
, “The Acceleration of Pitting Failure by Water in the Lubricant
,” J. Inst. Pet.
, 44
(419
), p. 406
.9.
Kotzalas
, M. N.
, and Doll
, G. L.
, 2010
, “Tribological Advancements for Reliable Wind Turbine Performance
,” Philos. Trans. Roy. Soc. A
, 368
(1929
), pp. 4829
–4850
. 10.
Errichello
, R. L.
, 2012
, “Morphology of Micropitting
,” Gear Technol.
, 4
, pp. 74
–81
.11.
Oila
, A.
, and Bull
, S. J.
, 2005
, “Assessment of the Factors Influencing Micropitting in Rolling/Sliding Contacts
,” Wear
, 258
(10
), pp. 1510
–1524
. 12.
Sadeghi
, F.
, Jalalahmadi
, B.
, Slack
, T. S.
, Raje
, N.
, and Arakere
, N. K.
, 2009
, “A Review of Rolling Contact Fatigue
,” ASME J. Tribol.
, 131
(4
), p. 041403
. 13.
Greenwood
, J. A.
, and Williamson
, J. B.
, 1966
, “Contact of Nominally Flat Surfaces
,” Philos. Trans. Roy. Soc. A
, 295
(1442
), pp. 300
–319
.14.
Ai
, X. L.
, and Sawamiphakdi
, K.
, 1999
, “Solving Elastic Contact Between Rough Surfaces As an Unconstrained Strain Energy Minimization by Using CGM and FFT Techniques
,” ASME J. Tribol.
, 121
(4
), pp. 639
–647
. 15.
Morales-Espejel
, G. E.
, and Brizmer
, V.
, 2011
, “Micropitting Modelling in Rolling–Sliding Contacts: Application to Rolling Bearings
,” Tribol. Trans.
, 54
(4
), pp. 625
–643
. 16.
Brandão
, J. A.
, Martins
, R.
, Seabra
, J. H.
, and Castro
, M. J.
, 2015
, “An Approach to the Simulation of Concurrent Gear Micropitting and Mild Wear
,” Wear
, 324
, pp. 64
–73
. 17.
Martins
, R. C.
, Seabra
, J. H. O.
, and Moron
, L. F.
, 2011
, “Influence of PAO Plus Ester Oil Formulations on Gear Micropitting and Efficiency
,” Int. J. Surf. Sci. Eng.
, 5
(4
), pp. 312
–329
. 18.
Martins
, R. C.
, Seabra
, J. H. O.
, and Ruis-Moron
, L. F.
, 2011
, “Influence of Oil Formulation on Gear Micropitting and Power Loss Performance
,” Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. J.: J. Eng. Tribol.
, 225
(J6
), pp. 429
–439
. 19.
Soltanahmadi
, S.
, Morina
, A.
, van Eijk
, M. C.
, Nedelcu
, I.
, and Neville
, A.
, 2016
, “Investigation of the Effect of a Diamine-Based Friction Modifier on Micropitting and the Properties of Tribofilms in Rolling–Sliding Contacts
,” J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.
, 49
(50
), p. 505302
. 20.
Eckels
, M.
, Kotzalas
, M. N.
, and Doll
, G. L.
, 2013
, “Attaining High Levels of Bearing Performance With a Nanocomposite Diamond-Like Carbon Coating
,” Tribol. Trans.
, 56
(3
), pp. 410
–416
. 21.
Šmeļova
, V.
, Schwedt
, A.
, Wang
, L.
, Holweger
, W.
, and Mayer
, J.
, 2017
, “Electron Microscopy Investigations of Microstructural Alterations Due to Classical Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) in Martensitic AISI 52100 Bearing Steel
,” Int. J. Fatigue
, 98
, pp. 142
–154
. 22.
Bhadeshia
, H. K. D. H.
, 2012
, “Steels for Bearings
,” Prog. Mater. Sci.
, 57
(2
), pp. 268
–435
. 23.
Bower
, A. F.
, 1988
, “The Influence of Crack Face Friction and Trapped Fluid on Surface Initiated Rolling Contact Fatigue Cracks
,” ASME J. Tribol.
, 110
(4), pp. 704
–711
. 24.
Evans
, M. H.
, 2016
, “An Updated Review: White Etching Cracks (WECs) and Axial Cracks in Wind Turbine Gearbox Bearings
,” Mater. Sci. Technol.
, 32
(11
), pp. 1133
–1169
. 25.
Evans
, M. H.
, 2012
, “White Structure Flaking (WSF) in Wind Turbine Gearbox Bearings: Effects of ‘Butterflies’ and White Etching Cracks (WECs)
,” Mater. Sci. Technol.
, 28
(1
), pp. 3
–22
. 26.
Bhadeshia
, H. K. D. H.
, and Solano-Alvarez
, W.
, 2015
, “Critical Assessment 13: Elimination of White Etching Matter in Bearing Steels
,” Mater. Sci. Technol.
, 31
(9
), pp. 1011
–1015
. 27.
Barnoush
, A.
, 2011
, “Hydrogen Embrittlement
,” Ph.D. dissertation
, Saarland University
, Saarbrücken, Germany
.28.
Murakami
, Y.
, and Matsunaga
, H.
, 2006
, “The Effect of Hydrogen on Fatigue Properties of Steels Used for Fuel Cell Systems
,” Int. J. Fatigue
, 28
(11
), pp. 1509
–1520
. 29.
Venegas
, V.
, Caleyo
, F.
, González
, J. L.
, Baudin
, T.
, Hallen
, J. M.
, and Penelle
, R.
, 2005
, “EBSD Study of Hydrogen-Induced Cracking in API-5 L-X46 Pipeline Steel
,” Scr. Mater.
, 52
(2
), pp. 147
–152
. 30.
Fujita
, S.
, Matsuoka
, S.
, Murakami
, Y.
, and Marquis
, G.
, 2010
, “Effect of Hydrogen on Mode II Fatigue Crack Behavior of Tempered Bearing Steel and Microstructural Changes
,” Int. J. Fatigue
, 32
(6
), pp. 943
–951
. 31.
Uyama
, H.
, Yamada
, H.
, Hidaka
, H.
, and Mitamura
, N.
, 2011
, “The Effects of Hydrogen on Microstructural Change and Surface Originated Flaking in Rolling Contact Fatigue
,” Tribol. Online
, 6
(2
), pp. 123
–132
. 32.
Ruellan
, A.
, Cavoret
, J.
, Ville
, F.
, Kleber
, X.
, and Liatard
, B.
, 2017
, “Understanding White Etching Cracks in Rolling Element Bearings: State of Art and Multiple Driver Transposition on a Twin-Disc Machine
,” Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. J.: J. Eng. Tribol.
, 231
(2
), pp. 203
–220
. 33.
Paladugu
, M.
, and Hyde
, R. S.
, 2017
, “White Etching Matter Promoted by Intergranular Embrittlement
,” Scr. Mater.
, 130
, pp. 219
–222
. 34.
Mahmoudi
, B.
, Doll
, G. L.
, Hager
, C. H.
, Jr., and Evans
, R. D.
, 2016
, “Influence of a WC/aC:H Tribological Coating on Micropitting Wear of Bearing Steel
,” Wear
, 350
, pp. 107
–115
. 35.
Mahmoudi
, B.
, Tury
, B.
, Hager
, C. H.
, and Doll
, G. L.
, 2015
, “Effects of Black Oxide and a WC/a-C:H Coating on the Micropitting of SAE 52100 Bearing Steel
,” Tribol. Lett.
, 58
(2
), pp. 1
–9
. 36.
ISO/TR 15144-1:2010
, “Calculation of Micropitting Load Capacity of Cylindrical Spur and Helical Gears—Part 1: Introduction and Basic Principles,” BSI Standard Publication, Switzerland, pp. 1
–56
.37.
Cen
, H.
, Morina
, A.
, Neville
, A.
, Pasaribu
, R.
, and Nedelcu
, I.
, 2012
, “Effect of Water on ZDDP Anti-Wear Performance and Related Tribochemistry in Lubricated Steel/Steel Pure Sliding Contacts
,” Tribol. Int.
, 56
, pp. 47
–57
. 38.
Oila
, A.
, and Bull
, S. J.
, 2005
, “Phase Transformations Associated With Micropitting in Rolling/Sliding Contacts
,” J. Mater. Sci.
, 40
(18
), pp. 4767
–4774
. 39.
Gould
, B.
, and Greco
, A.
, 2015
, “The Influence of Sliding and Contact Severity on the Generation of White Etching Cracks
,” Tribol. Lett.
, 60
(2
), pp. 1
–3
. Copyright © 2022 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.
