Surface Observation of PPS Thrust Bearings under Rolling Contact Fatigue in Water

Abstract

There were two procedure about surface failure in rolling contact fatigue (RCF), wear and crack propagation. In our previous study, it was concluded that the main reason for PPS bearings failure in water was flaking due to surface crack propagation. The relationship between wear loss, rotation speed and thrust load of PPS bearings under RCF in water was investigated. In this study, the detailed surface profiles under heavy load were studied by using both LCM and two-dimensional measurement sensor to study the process of flaking failure.