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Ion plated, nickel-copper-silver coated steel ball bearings that were tested in rolling contact fatigue (RCF) experiments in high vacuum are presented in this article. ANSI T5 ball bearings were coated with approximately 10 nm of nickel-copper followed by 100 nm of silver using a dc ion plating process. The balls were then tested for RCF in vacuum in the 10−7 Torr range at 130 Hz rotational speed and at 4.1 GPa Hertzian contact stress. The significance of this work is in the extension of RCF testing to an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) application using silver as a lubricant instead of oil. The effects of pressure and voltage on the ion plating process were also investigated using scanning electron microscopy and RCF life testing in UHV. Test results with a ball size of 5/16 in. in UHV show that deposition at voltages greater than 2.5 kV shortens the RCF life and introduces a unique failure mode. Voltage and pressure fluctuations during the deposition process result in significant thickness monitor measurement errors as well. A regulator control scheme that minimizes the process pressure overshoot is also simulated.

Articles you may be interested inKinetic model for dependence of thin film stress on growth rate, temperature, and microstructure J. Appl. Phys. 111, 083520 (2012); 10.1063/1.4704683Rolling contact fatigue in high vacuum using ion plated nickel-copper-silver solid lubricationThe rotation of ripple pattern and the shape of the collision cascade in ion sputtered thin metal films J. Appl. Phys.In this paper, we present a connection between argon ion flux, element-mixing, and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) life of a thin film nickel-copper-silver lubricant on ball bearings. The film is deposited on the balls using an ion plating process and tested for RCF in high vacuum. The ion flux is measured using a Langmuir probe and the plane stress within the film during deposition is calculated using a thin film model. Experiments reveal that there is an inverse relationship between ion flux and RCF life for most deposition voltage and pressure combinations tested, specifically, 15.5-18.5 mTorr and 1.5-3.5 kV. For voltages up to 2.5 kV, RCF life decreases as ion flux increases due to increased compressive stress within the film, reaching as high as 2.6 GPa. For voltages between 2.5 and 3.5 kV, interlayer mixing of nickel and copper with the silver layer reduces RCF life due to contamination, even as ion flux and corresponding film compressive stress are reduced. A Monte Carlo-based simulation tool, SRIM TM is used to track collision cascades of the argon ions and metal atoms within the coating layers. At process voltages above 2.5 kV we observe elemental mixing of copper and nickel with the silver layer using Auger electron spectroscopy of coated steel and Si 3 N 4 balls. The authors conclude that an ion flux greater than 5.0 Â 10 14 cm À2 s À1 leads to reduced RCF life due to high film stress. In addition, process voltages greater than 2.5 kV also reduce RCF life due to contamination and interlayer mixing of nickel and copper within the silver layer.

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A 200 °C high vacuum chamber has been built to improve vibration measurement sensitivity. The optimized design addresses two significant issues: (i) vibration measurements under high vacuum conditions and (ii) use of design optimization tools to reduce operating costs. A test rig consisting of a cylindrical vessel with one access port has been constructed with a welded-bellows assembly used to seal the vessel and enable vibration measurements in high vacuum that are comparable with measurements in air. The welded-bellows assembly provides a force transmissibility of 0.1 or better at 15 Hz excitation under high vacuum conditions. Numerical results based on design optimization of a larger diameter chamber are presented. The general constraints on the new design include material yield stress, chamber first natural frequency, vibration isolation performance, and forced convection heat transfer capabilities over the exterior of the vessel access ports. Operating costs of the new chamber are reduced by 50% compared to a preexisting chamber of similar size and function.

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