Ferrographic analysis of wear debris generated in accelerated rolling element fatigue tests
Ferrographic analysis was used to determine the types and quantities of wear particles generated during accelerated rolling contact fatigue tests. The NASA five-ball rolling contact fatigue tester was used. Ball specimens were made of AMS 5749, a corrosion-resistant high-temperature bearing steel. The lubricant was a super-refined naphthenic mineral oil. Conditions included a maximum Hertz stress of 5.52 billion Pa and a shaft speed of 10,000 rpm. Four types of wear particles were observed: normal rubbing wear particles, fatigue spall particles, spheres, and friction polymer.