Mechanical Properties of White Etching Areas in Carburized Bearing Steel Using Spherical Nanoindentation

The indentation stress–strain curves of nanocrystalline white etching areas (WEAs) in fatigue-damaged bearing steels were measured through the Pathak–Kalidindi spherical indentation protocols. Although the hardness of WEAs has been reported as greater than the matrix, the indentation yield strength is 36 ± 6 pct smaller and the Young’s modulus is 34 ± 11 pct smaller than the matrix. Using a Voigt–Reuss–Hill approximation, the measured reduction in Young’s modulus is consistent with the effective modulus of nanocrystalline grains within the WEAs.