Surface Hardened Corrosion Resistant Rolling Element Bearings

Abstract

Through hardening bearing steels with low alloy content are sometimes surface hardened by induction hardening to implement compressive residual stresses into the surface. This method is not regularly applied for steels with high alloy content especially not for applications in the aerospace and space industry. Here carburizing grades are used if compressive residual stresses are required. For a protection against corrosion chromium plating is applied or a through hardening chromium steel is chosen which offers no compressive residual stresses. This work deals with the evaluation of surface hardening and corrosion resistant bearing components. For this the steels AISI 440C and Cronidur30 were investigated.