Cyclic Contact Research Articles

Analysis of fatigue damage of hot rolling work rolls coupled with wear effect

During the hot rolling process, the work roll experiences cyclic contact stress due to the deformation of the strip steel, as well as thermal stress from periodic heating and cooling. The surface failure of the work roll results from the combined effects of wear and fatigue damage. This study proposes a comprehensive approach to analyzing coupled wear and fatigue damage using a method based on the Manson-Coffin equation, modified slope formula, and the Miner criterion. Finite element models were developed to simulate simplified heat transfer and thermal coupling, taking into account the actual rolling parameters and high-temperature material properties of the work roll. The evolution of the physical field of the work roll during the rolling process was analyzed. The analysis of these models revealed that the maximum strain on the work roll occurred at the rolling exit and was predominantly influenced by temperature. The effects of rolling speed and temperature on work roll strain varied, with fatigue damage being significantly reduced when wear was considered compared to scenarios where wear was not accounted for, under the same number of cycles.

Filled elastomers sliding over smooth obstacles: Experiments and modeling in large deformations

The objective of this paper is to shed light on the mechanical response of filled elastomers in sliding contact. Compared to situations encountered by tires in breaking conditions, the study only considers smooth obstacles in order to analyse the contribution of finite deformations and of the complex viscosity of filled elastomers without facing all the complexity of surface roughness. For this purpose, a new experiment is introduced that allows to measure the friction on the surface of a filled elastomer that is subjected to large local deformation through a cyclic contact loading applied by sliding indenters. The setup uses smooth spherical indenters sliding on the material of interest within a temperature controlled water tank. The relevance of adhesion forces is reduced by using Teflon as a dry lubricant and Sinnozon as a surfactant. To analyze the experimental results, full-field simulations of the experiments are carried out within the setting of finite viscoelastodynamics by making use of two types of viscoelastic constitutive models for the filled elastomer: (i) a classical viscoelastic model combining a Mooney–Rivlin equilibrium elasticity and Maxwell branches with constant viscosities and (ii) an internal-variable-based viscoelastic model that was introduced in (Kumar and Lopez-Pamies, Comptes Rendus Mecanique 344, 102-112) for unfilled elastomers and that is extended herein to account for the more complex viscous response of filled elastomers.

Mechanism and improvement of the rolling contact fatigue of the surface layer with heterogeneous microstructures of the rail steel treated by laminar plasma jet

Surface layer with heterogeneous microstructures (SLHM), characterized by hardened spots discretely embedded in a soft substrate, can be prepared by laminar plasma quenching (LPQ) to improve the wear resistance of the railway rail. However, severe rolling contact fatigue (RCF) cracks and spalling would occur in the hardened spots that only consist of quenched microstructure. This study analyzed the RCF damage mechanism of the LPQ prepared hardened spots by contact simulation. To improve the RCF resistance while maintaining the high wear resistance of the treated rail, a novel SLHM, whose discrete hardened spots are surrounded by transitional zone with the hardness lower than that of the quenched zone but higher than that of the substrate, was proposed and prepared by laminar plasma quenching-tempering (LPQT). Then, twin-disc tests and contact simulations were conducted to investigate the wear and RCF resistances of the LPQT treated rail steel. Results showed that the cause of the severe RCF cracks and spalling at the entry side of the LPQ prepared hardened spots was that the cyclic tensile stress at the entry side was always higher than that at the exit side under the cyclic rolling contact loading. The high tensile stress at the entry side of the LPQ prepared hardened spots resulted from the elastic deformation induced by tensile plastic deformation of the neighboring substrate. When the thickness of the transitional zone was about 0.1 mm, the generation of severe RCF cracks and spalling was significantly inhibited in the LPQT prepared hardened spots because the transitional zone decreases the cyclic tensile stress at the entry side of the quenched zone. Besides, the wear loss of such LPQT treated rail steel was only increased by 18.1 % compared with that of the LPQ treated rail steel, indicating that the wear resistance of the LPQT treated rail steel was not significantly reduced. These findings are promising for designing the microstructure of the surface layer to obtain wear-resistant rail with high RCF resistance.

Comparative study on fretting friction and wear characteristics of different impregnated graphite for sealing application

Impregnated graphite has attracted considerable attention and has been widely used as an ideal sealing material in many fields. However, the service environment often contains vibrations, which can easily lead to severe fretting wear and leakage. In this study, the fretting friction and wear properties of resin-impregnated graphite and antimony-impregnated graphite were investigated. The results revealed that only gross slipping regime (GSR) occurred for two impregnated graphite. For resin-impregnated graphite, both abrasive and adhesive wear were discovered. Yet slight fatigue wear occurred on the worn surface of antimony-impregnated graphite at higher cyclic contact stress. The significant properties of the impregnated graphite can be attributed to a transfer film, which uniformly and stably adsorbs on the contact interfaces. This study provides an important basis for matching the industrial applicability of graphite-based modified sealing materials.

An efficient 3D finite element procedure for simulating wheel–rail cyclic contact and ratcheting

Various models for simulating rail ratcheting behaviour were developed to study rolling contact fatigue (RCF) damage in rails. However, limitations remain in terms of the accuracy of wheel–rail contact modelling and computational efficiency of the cyclic loading simulation. This study developed an efficient 3D finite element (FE) procedure to simulate ratcheting in rails subjected to numerous load cycles. The procedure simulates a wheel rolling repeatedly over a rail section with updated stress–strain states, enabling automatically executed cyclic loading simulation given a predefined number of cycles. To ensure the accuracy of the contact modelling, the effect of meshing schemes on subsurface stress distribution was examined. In addition, the FE contact model with the selected meshing scheme, which balances accuracy and computational efficiency, was verified against the widely accepted CONTACT program. Subsequently, a non-linear kinematic hardening (NLKH) steel material was used in the FE model for ratcheting simulations with up to 100 wheel-loading cycles. The rail surface and subsurface stress states were replicated under partial-slip wheel–rail rolling contact conditions with traction coefficients of 0.10, 0.20 and 0.35, respectively. The ratcheting behaviour was extensively analysed in terms of plastic deformation, contact patch evolution, and ratcheting rates. The simulated plastic deformation was found to alter the contact geometry and thus contact stresses, which in turn affect further accumulation of plastic deformation and subsequent ratcheting strains. These findings highlighted the importance of considering the interplay between the rail ratcheting behaviour of the rail and evolving contact conditions for predicting ratcheting and RCF damage in rails.

Crystal plasticity modeling of grain boundary softening and fatigue in U75V pearlite steel under low strain conditions: A study of cyclic rolling contact fatigue

Grain boundaries (GBs) exhibit fatigue-induced softening under low strain conditions, making them the weakest and most vulnerable regions within the material. This phenomenon significantly influences plastic deformation, plastic strengthening, and the initiation and propagation of microcracks, leading to material fatigue failure. This investigation presents a comprehensive model for the rolling contact fatigue (RCF) damage mechanism of U75V railway steel. Leveraging data from Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) and employing the Crystal Plasticity Finite Element Method (CPFEM), intragranular mechanical responses are elucidated. A modified bilinear Traction Separation Law (TSL) Cohesive Zone Model (CZM) is developed to capture the impact of GBs fatigue. Integrating this CZM with CPFEM, mechanical properties, scalar stiffness degradation (SDEG), fatigue damage factors, and crack evolution patterns are analyzed to explore the effects of grain morphology, orientation, GB angle, and area on GB fatigue damage and crack initiation. Results indicate a significant increase in GBs damage with increasing GBs angle or decreasing GBs area, highlighting the potential for reducing RCF damage through deliberate grain morphology design. Additionally, GBs are found to impede crack propagation, suggesting that grain refinement can mitigate crack propagation rates. This study enhances our understanding of intergranular fracture, mechanical responses, and microstructure evolution in U75V rail steel under cyclic rolling contact loading, offering novel methodologies for investigating metallic materials' deformation behavior concerning GB fatigue.

Influence of shear yield strength of rail material on the shakedown limit in shakedown map

Rail materials with different shear yield strengths can exhibit different rolling contact fatigue (RCF) damage response during cyclic contact loading. The objective of this work is to achieve the actual shakedown limits in the shakedown map for rail materials with different shear yield strengths through RCF simulation tests of wheel-rail, and to investigate the relationship between the shear yield strength (ke) and the shakedown limit. Rolling-sliding tests were performed to investigate the RCF damage states of three types of rail materials with different shear yield strengths. Then, according to the differences of RCF damage states for each rail material and the method of nonlinear curve fitting, the actual shakedown limits for three types of rail materials were obtained. The actual shakedown limits for the three types of rail materials were lower than the original one in the classical shakedown map. With an increase in the shear yield strength (ke) of the rail material, the actual shakedown limit is reduced. Moreover, a relationship emerged which allowed a simple method to be proposed to obtain the actual shakedown limit based on the shear yield strength. The changing process and differences in the impact of different shear stress levels on the microstructural damage transformation of rail materials from the perspective of contact mechanics have been discussed. The behavior of severe accumulation of residual stresses during cyclic loading and more likely initiation of microcracks are the main reasons why rail materials with a higher shear yield strength (ke) under great contact loads are more prone to developing RCF crack damages. That is, the shakedown limit for the material with a higher shear yield strength (ke) is much lower. In view of the application of the shakedown map in the evaluation and prediction for RCF damage of rail materials with different shear yield strengths, different shakedown limits should be applied to different rail materials when analyzing their likely performance.

Characterizing the microstructures of mammalian enamel by synchrotron phase contrast microCT

The enamel of mammalian teeth is a highly mineralized tissue that must endure a lifetime of cyclic contact and is inspiring the development of next-generation engineering materials. Attempts to implement enamel-inspired structures in synthetic materials have had limited success, largely due to the absence of a detailed understanding of its microstructure. The present work used synchrotron phase-contrast microCT imaging to evaluate the three-dimensional microstructure of enamel from four mammals including Lion, Gray Wolf, Snow Leopard, and Black Bear. Quantitative results of image analysis revealed that the decussation pattern of enamel consists of discrete diazone (D) and parazone (P) bands of rods organized with stacking arrangement of D+/P/D-/P in all mammals evaluated; the D+ and D- refer to distinct diazone bands with juxtaposed rod orientations from the reference plane. Furthermore, the rod orientations in the bands can be described in terms of two principal angles, defined here as the pitch and yaw. While the pitch angle increases from the outer enamel to a maximum (up to ≈ 40°) near the dentin enamel junction, minimal spatial variations are observed in yaw across the enamel thickness. There are clear differences in the decussation parameters of enamel across species that are interpreted here with respect to the structural demands placed on their teeth. The rod pitch and band width of enamel are identified as important design parameters and appear to be correlated with the bite force quotient of the four mammals evaluated. Statement of significanceThe multi-functionality of tooth enamel requires both hardness and resistance to fracture, properties that are generally mutually exclusive. Ubiquitous to all mammalian teeth, the enamel is expected to have undergone adaptations in microstructure to accommodate the differences in diet, body size and bite force across animals. For the first time, we compare the complex three-dimensional microstructure of enamel from teeth of multiple mammalian species using synchrotron micro-computed tomography. The findings provide new understanding of the “design” of mammalian enamel microstructures, as well as how specific parameters associated with the decussation of rods appear to be engineered to modulate its fracture resistance.

Three-dimensional elastic–plastic stress analysis of wheel–rail cyclic rolling contact using finite element method

The rail is subjected to cyclic stress and plastic deformation, excessive accumulation of which can promote rail degradation. A finite element (FE) model of three-dimensional (3D) cyclic rolling contact (CRC) with the implementation of an improved cyclic plasticity constitutive material model is developed to analyze the 3D elastic–plastic stress. Comparisons of the FE simulation results of 2D repeated moving pressure (RMP), 3D RMP, and 3D CRC models are conducted to elucidate the differences. The evolution and distribution patterns of the elastic–plastic mechanical behavior of wheel–rail contact with the number of cycles are also investigated. The FE results show that the 2D RMP model is conservative in predictions, and the results derived from the 3D RMP and 3D CRC models are comparable, while opposite results are available for some essential components. The 3D CRC model is a necessary choice especially for fatigue life prediction study. Due to the partial slip and cyclic rolling, the stresses and strains near the rail surface layer are significant and continuously accumulate. The residual equivalent plastic strain and the ratchetting strain increase with the increase of the tangential traction and the axle load, which will accelerate rail damage.

Effect of Treatment Temperature on the Cyclic Spherical Contact Behavior of Plasma Nitrided and Nitrocarburized AISI 321 Steel

Effect of Treatment Temperature on the Cyclic Spherical Contact Behavior of Plasma Nitrided and Nitrocarburized AISI 321 Steel

Surface Integrity of 20MnCr5 Laser Powder Bed Fusion parts subject to contact fatigue test

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is vital for industrial innovation, offering high potential for groundbreaking solutions. However, its successful implementation still depends on overcoming several challenges. Particularly, the assessment of surface integrity in AM-generated components, and its degradation when subjected to contact stresses presents an ongoing endeavor. Within this context, the current work delves into the study of the surface integrity of 20MnCr5 case-hardened samples manufactured through laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF), as well as delves into the investigation of surface failure progression when the samples are subjected to cyclic contact stresses. This study encompasses the analysis of residual stresses, hardness, and roughness of specimens manufactured through both additive and conventional production routes. The study’s findings show that it is feasible to attain analogous surface quality when proper finishing is applied to L-PBF samples. Although, despite the comparable surface quality, the contact fatigue performance was significative lower on the AM sample when compared to the conventionally manufactured. Additionally, additive manufacturing brings up new challenges to performance by presenting a heterogeneous stress distribution and sub-superficial porosity. In conclusion, to attain a desirable surface integrity for additive manufactured parts, further research should not only focus on improving the process parametrization but should also developing finishing routes especially oriented to additive manufacturing, considering therefore how the interaction between the manufacturing processes will evolve into a desirable surface integrity state.

Effect of Cyclic Loading on the Surface Microstructure Evolution in the Pearlitic Rail

The effects of cyclic loading on the surface microstructure evolution of different contact locations in a used pearlitic rail were studied. Microstructures were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Meanwhile, grain boundaries and crystallographic orientations were explored via Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD). At last, wheel–rail contact probabilities and forces were calculated using rail profiles. The results indicate that the side wear region located in the gauge face was 71.5% in the high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) fraction, 0.88 in the Kernel Average Misorientation (KAM) value, 36% in the recrystallization (REX) fraction, and had a predominant orientation in grains. The rolling contact fatigue (RCF) region situated at the gauge corner was 66.3% in the HAGBs fraction, 0.92 in the KAM value, 33% in the REX fraction, and was mis-orientated in grains. The region located at the edge of the running band was 60.7% in the low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) fraction, 0.97 in the KAM value, 12% in the REX fraction, and was mis-orientated in grains. Continuous dynamic recrystallization (cDRX) took place in wear and RCF regions during the cyclic rolling contact loading, creating ultra-fine grains with a transformation from LAGBs to HAGBs, lower KAM values, and more REX. Grains oriented along [111] parallel to the vertical direction in the wear region were influenced by the dominant normal force, while grains in the RCF region were non-oriented, which was attributed to large lateral and vertical forces of similar magnitudes.

Evaluation of adhesive damage in a nitrided stainless steel under cyclic contact loading

In this study, adhesive damage in a nitrided AISI 316L stainless steel is evaluated by cyclic contact loading. The AISI 316L steel was hardened by the salt bath nitriding process at a constant temperature (580 °C) and three different exposure times (1 h, 3 h and 5 h). Mechanical properties such as Young's modulus (E) and hardness (H) were obtained by nanoindentation testing, where the H3/E2 ratio was used as an indicator of the fracture resistance of the nitride layers. Cyclic contact loads were applied to the nitrided steels using a spherical indenter of 3 mm in diameter. The layer/substrate systems were evaluated under 50,000 load cycles and a constant frequency of 5 Hz. Adhesive damage was observed at the interface between the compound-layer and the diffusion zone, where the samples with a thicker nitride layer showed more severe damage. In addition, the finite element method was used to obtain the stress field in the nitrided AISI 316L steel caused by cyclic contact loading, where both the maximum principal stress and the maximum shear stress were related to the adhesive damage observed in the experimental test.

Contact interaction and wear of beam supports resting on a frictional substrate

The frictional contact response of a beam with attached spherical indenters and supported on a plane substrate is considered for periodically varying normal load. An oblique loading case then occurs as the structural load induces both normal and tangential forces on the contact zone. The cyclic tangential sliding and spin of indenter on the substrate are then accompanied by evolving contact zone related to load variation. Rigid-sliding and slip-sliding friction models have been used to describe analytically cyclic contact response, load-deflection hysteretic relation, wear scar evolution and dissipated energy per cycle assuming linear-elastic material model. The analytical solution has been verified by experimental tests providing data on mechanical response, load-deflection diagrams illustrating transient and steady states and wear scar evolution. The effect of wear debris adhesively bonded to the indenter was found to be essential for increasing friction and wear. The relation of wear volume to the dissipated energy is presented. The analysis is aimed to develop a new type of wear tester applicable to oblique loading cases.

Microstructure characteristics and formation mechanisms of white etching layer (WEL) and brown etching layer (BEL) on martensite bearing raceway

White Etching Layer (WEL) and Brown Etching Layer (BEL) always form on the surface of rails and bearings subjected to rolling cyclic contact stress. Because of the different properties between WEL/BEL and matrix, the cracks initiate and propagate easily, leading to failure ultimately. The WEL and BEL found on pearlite rail, have been widely investigated, but WEL and BEL on bainite rail and martensite bearing have not been further studied. Especially the BEL on martensite bearing raceways has rarely been reported. This study investigates the features of WEL and BEL found on martensite bearing raceway. The BEL locates in the middle of WEL and matrix, but its hardness values are the highest, which is different from the general results reported: WEL > BEL > matrix. The WEL is mainly consisted of austenite with coarse grains, ferrite and retained tempered martensite. The mainly composition of BEL is quenched martensite. Thermal effect is the main formation mechanism of the WEL and BEL in this study. BEL forms because the surface temperature exceeds Acm point, and then rapidly decreases. The formation of WEL may originate from two processes: (1) The austenitizing and slowly cooling process again of BEL; (2) The austenitizing and slowly cooling process of the matrix. WEL and BEL forming processes are closely related to the diffusion and redistribution of carbon. The contributory heat conduction and diffusion mechanism in the confined spaces of grease lubricated bearings have been also discussed in this study.

Behavior Under Cyclic Loading of Freshwater Ice and Sea Ice With Thermal Microcracks

AbstractThe combination of thinning ice, larger waves, and damage due to diurnal thermal cycling motivate the need to better understand the impact of flexing under the action of oceanic waves on the strength of thermally cracked ice. To that end, new experiments were performed on freshwater, lab‐grown ice and first‐year natural sea ice. Both materials were cracked by thermal shocking and then subsequently cyclically flexed. Initially, the thermal cracks weakened both materials. When the cracked ice of either origin was cyclically flexed under fully reversed loading, its flexural strength, initially reduced by the stress‐concentrating action of the cracks, recovered to the strength of non‐cracked, non‐flexed ice. When the cracked ice was cyclically flexed non‐reversely, its strength recovered only partially. During reversed cyclic flexing, the cracked region experienced alternately compressive and tensile stresses. We suggest compression resulted in contact of opposing crack faces followed by sintering leading to strength recovery. During non‐reversed cyclic flexing, contact and sintering were reduced and ice strength did not fully recover. The tendency for cracks to heal during cyclic flexing may lessen their threat to the structural integrity of an ice cover.

Fretting fatigue of Inconel 718 at room and elevated temperatures considering both constant and cyclic normal contact loads

This work investigates the influence of cyclic normal contact load on the fretting fatigue behavior of the Inconel 718 alloy at room and elevated temperatures. Fretting fatigue and friction tests with constant and cyclic contact load were conducted at 20 °C and 540 °C. Moreover, to estimate fretting fatigue life, numerical models (including and neglecting wear) were used in conjunction with the SWT parameter and a non-local stress approach. Experiments showed that the cyclic normal contact load has a beneficial effect on fatigue life. Additionally, no significant difference was observed for the measured friction coefficient whether considering constant or cyclic contact load. However, friction coefficient was significantly reduced at 540 °C. Generally, the life estimate approaches here considered yielded satisfactory results.

Fatigue-life and stress distribution of a glass-ceramic under different loading conditions

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different loading conditions on the mechanical behavior and stress distribution of a leucite-reinforced glass-ceramic. Plate-shaped ceramic specimens were obtained from leucite-reinforced glass-ceramic (1.5 × 8.4 × 8.3 mm) and adhesively cemented to a dentin analog substrate. Monotonic and cyclic contact fatigue tests were performed to simulate sphere-to-flat contact, using a 6 mm diameter spherical piston; and flat-to-flat contact, using a 3 mm diameter flat piston. For the monotonic test (n=20), a gradual compressive load (0.5 mm/min) was applied to the specimen using a universal testing machine. Failure load data were analyzed with Weibull statistics. The cyclic contact fatigue test was performed using protocols (load and a number of cycles) defined by the boundary technique (n=30). Fatigue data were analyzed using an inverse power law relationship and Weibull-lifetime distribution. The stress distribution was investigated using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The monotonic and the fatigue Weibull modulus were similar among the two contact conditions. In fatigue, the slow crack growth exponent was greater for sphere-to-flat contact, which indicates that the load level had a greater effect on the specimen's probability of failure. In conclusion, FEA showed different stress distribution for the tested loading conditions. The stress distribution and probability of fatigue failure of specimens tested in sphere-to-flat contact showed greater dependency to load level.

A ratcheting mechanism-based numerical model to predict damage initiation in twin-disc tests of premium rail steels

This work presents a ratcheting mechanism-based numerical model to study the initiation location and initiation life of rolling contact fatigue (RCF) or wear damage and the initial wear rate of premium rail steels under the laboratory twin-disc test conditions. Twin-disc tests are widely used in the studies of rail steels due to their ability to reproduce critical aspects of full-scale wheel-on-rail contact under controlled conditions and a relatively short test period compared to field tests. This study introduces a computational model to simulate the cyclic rolling contact for three premium rail steels (HE1, HE2, and LAHT) against wheel steel AAR Class-C under twin-disc test conditions. The cyclic rolling contact is achieved by repeatedly moving a non-Hertzian distribution of contact pressure and the calculated longitudinal surface traction upon a segment of the circumferential surface of the lower disc until a stabilized maximum ratcheting strain rate is reached. The RCF or wear damage initiation location is determined by the location showing the stabilized maximum ratcheting strain rate, and the damage initiation life is estimated by applying the ratcheting failure mechanism. Wear and RCF damages are distinguished by the depth of the damage initiation location. Wear damage is dominant when the location is near the surface. Otherwise, the damage will be RCF-dominated. The initial wear rate due to wear-dominated damage is estimated by identifying a critical profile and affected volume of worn material within the ratcheting strain rate field. The predicted initial wear rate is compared with the experimental result of the examined contact pair. This research can assist in a more profound understanding of the experiment results of a twin-disc test and provide a numerical basis for an experimental twin-disc test design. Furthermore, it may provide significant references for choosing rail steels.

Three-dimensional characterization and quantitative research of Malan loess microstructure under seismic loading

The deformation and failure of loess in areas of high seismic intensity are closely related to the dynamic vulnerability, which is primarily controlled by the loess microstructure. This study performed a series of dynamic triaxial tests and microstructure tests on intact loess to track and quantitatively characterize the evolution of the three-dimensional microstructure during deformation. The microstructural observations were performed using micro-CT on the samples after varying vibration times. The microstructure parameters (including pore radius, elongation, orientation, coordination number, pore throat area, and channel length) were obtained using a reconstructed pore network model. The results of this study demonstrated that the loess seismic subsidence originated from both compositional and microstructural characteristics. The intact loess had a loose structure with high porosity and limited cementation. Upon cyclic loading, cementation and contact breakdown led to the failure of the loess structure, followed by particle rearrangement. With increasing vibration times, the spaced and inter-aggregate pores became intra-aggregate pores, the pore throat size tended to decrease while the pore number tended to increase, the connectivity tended to weaken, and the shape tended to be long and flat. Pores >28 μm mainly provided spatial conditions for collapse deformation under seismic load. In addition, under the ultimate loading, large-volume cracks occurred inside the sample. The findings of this study provide further insights into loess seismic subsidence from the perspective of three-dimensional microstructures and a research basis for analyzing the stability of loess in relation to construction projects by combining finite and discrete elements.