Microstructural changes in White Etching Cracks (WECs) and their relationship with those in Dark Etching Region (DER) and White Etching Bands (WEBs) due to Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF)

Šmeļova, Viktorija; Schwedt, Alexander; Wang, Ling; Holweger, Walter; Mayer, Joachim

doi:10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2017.03.027

Cited by 76 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…A local transformation in the microstructure is observed as 'crack-free' irregular dark etching regions and is suggested to lead to the formation of WEAs. Similarities have been shown between microstructural alterations in WECs, and those alterations found in dark etch regions [40]. An experimental approach by artificially inducing microcracks into the steel prior to RCF has also shown that hard WEAs formed in close proximity to the microcracks, providing an experimental validation that cracks can be a precursor to WEA formations [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 54%

The Evolution of White Etching Cracks (WECs) in Rolling Contact Fatigue-Tested 100Cr6 Steel

et al. 2017

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The formation of white etching cracks (WECs) in steel rolling element bearings can lead to the premature rolling contact fatigue (RCF) failure mode called white structure flaking. Driving mechanisms are still debated but are proposed to be combinations of mechanical, tribochemical and electrical effects. A number of studies have been conducted to record and map WECs in RCF-tested samples and bearings failed from the field. For the first time, this study uses serial sectioning metallography techniques on non-hydrogen charged test samples over a range of test durations to capture the evolution of WEC formation from their initiation to final flaking. Clear evidence for subsurface initiation at non-metallic inclusions was observed at the early stages of WEC formation, and with increasing test duration the propagation of these cracks from the subsurface region to the contact surface eventually causing flaking. In addition, an increase in the amount of associated microstructural changes adjacent to the cracks is observed, this being indicative of the crack being a prerequisite of the microstructural alteration.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 54%

The Evolution of White Etching Cracks (WECs) in Rolling Contact Fatigue-Tested 100Cr6 Steel

et al. 2017

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“…This might explain the difference between both white etching matters wherein butterflies, the high dislocation density in the white region can trap carbon atoms causing supersaturation which suppresses the precipitation of carbides commonly reported with the soft WEB [11]. Similarities between WEBs and white etching cracks (WECs) have been reported in structure and formation mechanism [151,168]. Both WEC and WEBs demonstrate globular and elongated grains.…”

Section: Microstructural Alterations: White Etching Mattermentioning

confidence: 96%

“…However this raises the question on whether these carbon-rich areas are considered part of the WEBs or whether the term WEB just include the soft ferrite band. It is commonly thought that rolling contact fatigue cracks initiated at pores precede the formation of hard white etching matter which is associated with severe deformation [18,167,168]. In WEBs, the interstitial is rejected from the bands but dissolved in the butterfly (hard WEM) due to severe deformation.…”

Section: Microstructural Alterations: White Etching Mattermentioning

confidence: 99%

Further understanding of rolling contact fatigue in rolling element bearings - A review

Laithy

Wang

Harvey

et al. 2019

Tribology International

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116

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Rolling bearings are one of the most widely used components in industrial machinery. If suitably mounted, loaded, lubricated and isolated from contamination, rolling contact fatigue (RCF) is believed to be the most probable mode of failure resulting in subsurface originated failures. Over the past several decades many researchers have studied the failure and microstructural alterations in bearings such as dark etching regions and white etching bands and how operating conditions such as pressure, temperature and running time impact them during RCF. This paper aims to provide an overview of such alterations, their properties, formation mechanisms and impact on bearing failure.

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“…While it is difficult to determine the orientation of the nano-sized grains, the surrounding microstructure shows no preferred orientations. Further details can be found in [1,2,[4][5][6][7].…”

Section: State Of Knowledge On Wec and Fgamentioning

confidence: 99%

Crack growth and microstructural changes in AISI 52100: white etching cracks (WEC) and fine granular area (FGA)

2019

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The service life of rolling element bearings can usually be predicted with good accuracy. However, the damage phenomenon "white etching cracks" (WEC) can lead to premature and unforeseeable failures. The formation of zones with strongly decreased grain sizes at the crack faces is a characteristic of this type of failure. An earlier study showed that it is possible to reproduce this type of failure by multiaxial fatigue experiments with superposed cyclic compression and torsion. The present study shows the analysis of the stress state of those multiaxial fatigue tests with stress-based critical plane criteria. Using the critical plane results as a basis for a fracture mechanical analysis, a correlation is found between the crack length, the associated plastic zone size, and the extent of the transformed microstructure. This correlation is very similar to our results of the study of fine granular areas (FGA), a very high cycle fatigue phenomenon in bearing steels. It is argued that a plasticity-driven mechanism similar to the one proposed for FGA formation is responsible for WEC formation, too. Additional factors that are often cited as promoting WEC formation could explain the shift from very high cycle fatigue in the case of FGA to the early failures due to WEC.

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Microstructural changes in White Etching Cracks (WECs) and their relationship with those in Dark Etching Region (DER) and White Etching Bands (WEBs) due to Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF)

Cited by 76 publications

References 44 publications

The Evolution of White Etching Cracks (WECs) in Rolling Contact Fatigue-Tested 100Cr6 Steel

The Evolution of White Etching Cracks (WECs) in Rolling Contact Fatigue-Tested 100Cr6 Steel

Further understanding of rolling contact fatigue in rolling element bearings - A review

Crack growth and microstructural changes in AISI 52100: white etching cracks (WEC) and fine granular area (FGA)

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