Effect of materials and surfaces on frictional heating resistance of high-speed high-load rolling bearings

Many engineering applications require rolling bearings to run at very high rolling speeds and under very high loads. In ball bearings, even if the rolling/sliding ratio is very low (normally below 3%) because of the very high rolling speeds (∼40 m/s) the sliding speeds between the balls and raceways can reach locally very high values (∼1.35 m/s). The combination of these high sliding speeds and high contact pressures (up to 3 GPa) can induce lubricant film failures and increase the risk of adhesive wear between the surfaces (i.e. seizure). This process can be gradual or catastrophic, depending on the operating and lubrication conditions of the contacts. In this article, an investigation is presented where the effects of the material properties and surface topography on the adhesive wear resistance are addressed. The investigation applies a recently developed model for surface damage prediction from frictional heating, compared with a to-be-published seizure resistance experimental study. Three steels are included in the research together with different surface roughness. The results show the best material and roughness combination to maximise the seizure resistance of the surfaces.