Rolling-contact fatigue resistance of hard coatings on bearing steels.

Ball- and roller-bearings of the 21st Century are expected to perform better and last longer while operating under more stringent conditions than before. To meet these great expectations, researchers have been constantly exploring new bearing designs or refining existing ones, optimizing microstructure and chemistry of bearing materials, and alternatively, they have been considering the use of thin hard coatings for improved bearing performance and durability. Already, some laboratory tests have demonstrated that hard nitride, carbide (such as TiN, TiC, etc.) and diamondlike carbon (DLC) coatings can be very effective in prolonging the fatigue lives of bearing steels. This paper provides an overview of the recent developments in hard coatings for bearing applications. Previous studies have demonstrated that thin, hard coatings can effectively prolong the fatigue lives of bearing steel substrates. In particular, thinner hard coatings (i.e., 0.2 - 1 {micro}m thick) provide exceptional improvements in the fatigue lives of bearing steel substrates. In contrast, thicker hard coatings suffer micro fracture and delamination when tested under high contact stresses, hence are ineffective and may even have a negative effect on bearing life. Overall, it was concluded that thin hard coatings may offer new possibilities for bearing industry in meeting the performance and durability needs of the 21st Century