EFFECT OF COATINGS ON ROLLING CONTACT FATIGUE BEHAVIOUR OF MSO BEARING STEEL

AbstractThere is a continuing requirement for improved bearing performance for both commercial and military applications. Service temperatures are increasing steadily due to increased power requirements and corrosion of components remains a major concern as well, particularly for bearings in military systems. In our ongoing study, a number of different coatings were applied to VIM–VAR M50 bearing steel to improve both corrosion resistance and rolling contact fatigue behaviour. This report deals with coatings from the ion beam assisted deposition (I BAD) of TiN, details of the coating process, and test results obtained. The rolling contact fatigue performance of IBAD TiN coated M50 samples, measured with a ball/rod tester at a contact Hertzian stress of 5420 MN m-2, is discussed. Preliminary data on corrosion properties are also presented.