STUDIES OF THE SURFACE FATIGUE LIFE OF NANOLAYER COATED PAIRS

Abstract

The article presents results obtained in studies of surface fatigue life conducted using a specially developed unique method in a model system with a cone and three balls. The studies involved pairs in which the cones were made of 100Cr6 and SW7M steel (hardened) as well as 17HMN steel, which were subjected to low-pressure carburizing with pre-nitriding (PreNitLPC®) technology. The results obtained for the pairs were used as a point of reference for pairs in which the test elements were coated with a-C:H:W (WC/C) and additionally, in the case of 17HNM steel, with Si-DLC (DLC SiliComp). The temperature of the coating process did not exceed 200°C in all cases, and the coating thickness was in the range of 1.5 –20 μm. The studies were conducted in the presence of pure synthetic oil PAO8. Based on the studies, it was concluded that thin PVD coatings applied to heavily loaded steel elements of rolling friction joints variously affected the surface fatigue life of the steel coated with them. The observations cannot be unambiguously accounted for by any technological rules, and there is no available physical explanation for their underlying causes.