Analysis of the Tribological Behaviour of Stainless and Ball Bearing Steels Sliding in the Presence of Sulphur Extreme-Pressure Additives

Abstract

Conventional wear tests using a Four-Ball Lubricant Tester
with the British Standard SAE 52100 steel were supplemented by tests
with a stainless steel (AISI 420). Four combinations of these two
materials were studied, namely each material was used in turn for the
upper (driven) ball and the lower (clamped) balls. The tribological
behaviour of stainless and ball bearing steel were studied under
extreme pressure and/or anti-wear lubrication conditions in the
presence of sulphur and sulphur containing additives, in order to compare
the wear behaviour of the AISI 420 stainless steel with the SAE 52100
steel, taking into account the influence of chromium in both materials.
Electron Probe Microanalysis and Glancing Angle X-ray Diffraction
combined with Scanning Electron Microscopy have been used to identify
the thin films produced on the worn surfaces and to study the micro-
Structures of the subsurface layers. This investigation shows that the
wear behaviour of a combination of materials is worsened by the greater
use of the stainless steel in the rotating and stationary balls. The
percentage of chromium does have a deleterious effect on the wear
behaviour of the AISI 420 stainless steel, where the anti wear and
extreme pressure actions were suppressed. These effects were 3
investigated using surface analytical techniques by using the same and
mixed specimens.

Date of Award	1985
Original language	English