The influence of steel microstructure and inclusion characteristics on the formation of premature bearing failures with microstructural alterations

Gould, Benjamin; Demas, Nicholaos G.; Greco, Aaron C.

doi:10.1016/j.msea.2019.02.084

Title: The influence of steel microstructure and inclusion characteristics on the formation of premature bearing failures with microstructural alterations

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Abstract

The formation of premature cracking damage associated with local microstructural alterations, commonly referred to as "white etching cracks" (WECs) has led to unpredictable bearing failures in numerous industrial applications. WECs are known to occur in the field independent of material characteristics such as heat treatment, predominant microstructure and surface coatings, as well as lubricant characteristics such as additive packages and viscosity. However, WECs have proven difficult to recreate at a benchtop scale; to date, no benchtop test has been reported to recreate WECs using commercially available field lubricants. The present work intends to identify key differences between the microstructure of field bearings and the microstructure of benchtop samples, focusing on the characteristics of the inclusions contained in both steels. Synchrotron scale X-ray tomography revealed that AISI 52100 steel used in industrial scale field bearings contained a drastically different inclusion microstructure then the AISI 52100 steels used in standard benchtop test specimens. Additionally, the authors were able to form WECs in test samples manufactured out of the steel of a field bearing using fully formulated field lubricants; a finding which has not yet been reported in open literature.

Authors:

Gould, Benjamin ^[1]; Demas, Nicholaos G. ^[1]; Greco, Aaron C. ^[1]

Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Publication Date:: Mon Feb 25 00:00:00 EST 2019

Research Org.:: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Wind Energy Technologies Office

OSTI Identifier:: 1524416

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1547696

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Materials Science and Engineering. A, Structural Materials: Properties, Microstructure and Processing

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 751; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0921-5093

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; Bearing failures; Microstructural alterations; Premature fatigue; White etching cracks

Citation Formats


                    Gould, Benjamin, Demas, Nicholaos G., and Greco, Aaron C. The influence of steel microstructure and inclusion characteristics on the formation of premature bearing failures with microstructural alterations.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.msea.2019.02.084.

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                    Gould, Benjamin, Demas, Nicholaos G., & Greco, Aaron C. The influence of steel microstructure and inclusion characteristics on the formation of premature bearing failures with microstructural alterations.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2019.02.084

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                    Gould, Benjamin, Demas, Nicholaos G., and Greco, Aaron C. Mon .  
"The influence of steel microstructure and inclusion characteristics on the formation of premature bearing failures with microstructural alterations".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2019.02.084.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1524416.

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@article{osti_1524416,

  title        = {The influence of steel microstructure and inclusion characteristics on the formation of premature bearing failures with microstructural alterations},

  author       = {Gould, Benjamin and Demas, Nicholaos G. and Greco, Aaron C.},

  abstractNote = {The formation of premature cracking damage associated with local microstructural alterations, commonly referred to as "white etching cracks" (WECs) has led to unpredictable bearing failures in numerous industrial applications. WECs are known to occur in the field independent of material characteristics such as heat treatment, predominant microstructure and surface coatings, as well as lubricant characteristics such as additive packages and viscosity. However, WECs have proven difficult to recreate at a benchtop scale; to date, no benchtop test has been reported to recreate WECs using commercially available field lubricants. The present work intends to identify key differences between the microstructure of field bearings and the microstructure of benchtop samples, focusing on the characteristics of the inclusions contained in both steels. Synchrotron scale X-ray tomography revealed that AISI 52100 steel used in industrial scale field bearings contained a drastically different inclusion microstructure then the AISI 52100 steels used in standard benchtop test specimens. Additionally, the authors were able to form WECs in test samples manufactured out of the steel of a field bearing using fully formulated field lubricants; a finding which has not yet been reported in open literature.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.msea.2019.02.084},

  journal      = {Materials Science and Engineering. A, Structural Materials: Properties, Microstructure and Processing},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 751,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Mon Feb 25 00:00:00 EST 2019},

  month        = {Mon Feb 25 00:00:00 EST 2019}

}

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2019.02.084

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