Professional Documents
Culture Documents
762008
[ Perspective ]
Compatibility with
ecology and safety
Advanced sophistication
and evolution of various
elemental technologies
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Biodegradable oil
1. Introduction
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30
Bearing steels
Low alloy carburizing steels
25
EBT at EF
Combined refining
Bottom blowing at EF
11.9ppm
15
10
SNRP operation
8.5ppm
7.2ppm
RH degassing
5
6.7ppm
8.3ppm
LD degassing
5.8ppm
0
1965
1970
1975
1980
4.7ppm
5.0ppm
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
Year
steel 2)
100000
FA treatment
10000
1000
100
1960
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
Fig. 2 The trend of rolling contact fatigue life of 12mm in diameter specimen
Si
Mn
Cr
SUJ 2
0.97
0.31
0.45
1.46
6570
1.02
1.01
0.41
1.43
6990
0.96
1.30
0.40
1.45
10800
1.00
1.42
0.40
1.41
12600
100000
10000
1000
Multiple correlation
coefficient=0.795
100
100
10% life
1000
10000
10000
1000
Multiple correlation
coefficient=0.698
100
100
100000
1000
10000
Fig. 3 The comparison of rolling contact fatigue life and estimated life based on inclusion rating
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100000
0
0
10
12
14
10
20
30
Retained austenite %
b) Contaminated oil lubrication conditions;
specimens include SUJ2 subjected to special
heat-treatment process
Retained austenite %
a) Clean oil lubrication conditions; SUJ2
Fig. 4 Relationship between retained austenite and rolling contact fatigue life
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with carbonitriding
without carbonitriding
with carbonitriding
without carbonitriding
5
4
3
2
1
1
0
Steel
A: SUJ2
B: Si-Cr steel
C: High Si-Cr steel
D: Si-Mn steel
E: High Cr steel
Steel
A: SUJ2
B: Si-Cr steel
C: High Si-Cr steel
D: Si-Mn steel
E: High Cr steel
Fig. 5 Improvement of rolling contact fatigue life of various steels with special heat treatment
0.05mm
0.05mm
Fig. 6 The comparison of prior austenite grain size between conventional heat treatment and FA treatment
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4. Future challenges
4.1 Development of novel materials
As a material assessing technique develops, the
performance of subject materials will further improve.
This is also true in the field of bearing technology.
Much progress has been made in the various
assessment and analysis techniques related to
bearings. Typical examples of such techniques
include microspace assessment technology, surface
analysis technology, analysis technique, and
simulation technique. NTN expects that these novel
tools help us attain new knowledge and technologies
such that we can now view nano-structures where in
the past the minimum- possible were micro-structures.
In the field of steel-making, the oxygen content in steel
has already reached lowest practical level, and further
bearing life extension in this aspect seems to be
virtually impossible.
Despite this, we hope that further improvement in
bearing life is realized through researches into
bonding between inclusions and base surface and into
techniques to turn inclusions harmless by modification
of inclusions.
In the aspect of bearing material development, there
will remain two long-lasting approaches: one approach
is an attempt to seek highly functional materials and
the other approach is placement of heaviest
importance onto cost-performance. NTN believes that
the latter approach in particular requires more
strenuous utilization of surface modification
technology. More specifically, in an extreme case, it is
important with a rolling bearing to modify the surface
area in a depth of 1 to 2 mm (can vary depending on
the bearing size) where Hertzian contact pressure is
applied, and it is not necessary to enhance the hole
bulk of the bearing.
Though details are not presented in this report
owing to space limitation, flaking (brittle flaking)
accompanying a white etching structure such as one
shown in Fig. 7 can still occur in limited situations.
Previously this brittle flaking was explained by the
stress field theory 27), hydrogen embrittlement theory 28)
29) or vibration theory 30). However, recently, the most
widely accepted explanation is tribochemical reactionderived hydrogen embrittlement. These flaking modes
previously occurred only under operating conditions
associated with severe lubricating conditions such as
50m
Quality
Environment
Absent
Absent
Cleanliness of surface
High
High
Present
Low
Surface hardness
High
High
Medium
Good
Good
Difficult
Operating environment
Excellent
Excellent
Medium
Working energy
Low
Low
High
Excellent
Low
Low
High
Moderate
Maintenance cost
Low
Medium
High
Inferior
5. Conclusion
The achievements so far attained in the field of
materials for rolling bearing and associated heattreatment techniques have been described above.
These achievements are primarily contributable to
developments in material engineering and material
assessment techniques supported by steel
manufacturers. Typical results of the efforts by steel
manufacturers include development of highly clean
steel materials containing minimal non-metallic
inclusions as well as development of special steel
material with varying alloy components. The future
challenges in our research and development efforts
will fall in two fields: development of ultimate material
and research R&D efforts thoroughly centered onto
cost-performance. In particular, in the costperformance aspect, material engineers at any
bearing manufacturer will need to fulfill required
bearing functions even when using a general-purpose
material. To this end, it will be increasingly more
important, not only to develop more sophisticated
elemental technologies including materials, heattreatment techniques, surface modification techniques
(by heat treatment as well as by processing, powder
technology and surface coating) and lubrication
techniques but also to attempt to realize integration
and collaboration with individual technologies.
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References
1) K. Seto: The Flow of Steel Technologies Series Vol.9:
Steel for Bearings, The Iron and Steel Institute of
Japan
2) K. Kawakami: Sanyo Technical Report, Vol.14, 1
(2007) 22
3) Y. Murakami: Metal Fatigue: Effects of Small Defects
and Nonmetallic Inclusions, Yokendo (1993)
4) Y. Nuri, S. Umezawa: Tetsu-to-Hagane, 75 (1989)
1897
5) N. Ishikawa, T. Fujimori: Tetsu-to-Hagane, 71 (1985)
893
6) Y. Nuri, S. Kitano: patent publication 2001-159627
(2001)
7) H. Murakami: NTN Technical Review No.68 (2000) 58
8) K. Yagita, T. Fujita, CAMP-ISIJ, Vol.20 (2007) 1353
9) Y. Furuya, S. Matsuoka, T. Abe: Tetsu-to-Hagane,
Vol.88, 10 (2002) 643
10) T. Yamamoto: Journal of The Japan Institute of
Metals 11 (1972) 419
11) N. Tsushima: J. Japan Inst. Metals 23 (1984) 50
12) K. Maeda, H. Nakashima: NTN Technical Review
No.63 (1994) 83
13) H. Tanaka, Y. Fujii and K. Maeda: NTN Technical
Review No.68 (2000) 51
14) T. Hoshino, K. Amano, Y. Yamamoto, A. Ohta and M.
Goto: Materia Japan Vol.37, 6 (1998) 516
15) M. Imajo: Special Steel Association of Japan, Vol.41,
3 (1992) 19
16) K. Maeda, H. Kashimura and K. Sahashi: NTN
Technical Review, No.65 (1996) 23
Photo of author
Hirokazu NAKASHIMA
Former General Manager,
Elemental Technological
R&D Center
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