Rolling contact fatigue behaviour of Pyrowear 675

This work represents one phase of a comprehensive gear and bearing materials programme, involving both substrates and coatings. The programme is directed at enhancing both the performance and durability of gears and bearings for insertion into military systems. This paper deals specifically with the Pyrowear 675 alloy, a carburising stainless steel recently developed by Carpenter Technology Corp. The rolling contact fatigue (RCF) performance of steel specimens with four different heat treatments is presented. The optimum heat treatment produced a fivefold increase in both B10 and B50 lifetimes compared with M50 steel, the standard turbine engine bearing steel. Thus, the improved RCF performance combined with good corrosion resistance make Pyrowear 675 alloy an attractive candidate for advanced bearing applications.