Micropitting in Rolling and Sliding Contact Under Mixed Lubrication

Based on morphological tests in rolling and sliding contact, the effect of surface film, the subsurface heavily dislocated layer, crack initiation, crack propagation, and micropitting have been investigated by using a two-disk rig. A micro-macro contact model is presented for surface pitting in rolling and sliding contacts. In this model the pressures related to asperity interaction and the subsurface stress map along whole contact area have been analyzed by superimposing the asperity contacting loads on the Hertzian load for a given specimen surface. Compared to the experimental results, this model is capable of predicting the onset of micropits for given mechanical and lubrication conditions. Cracking is assumed to occur when the accumulated strain energy of the dislocation reaches a critical value. A three-dimensional crack propagating model has also been used for pitting life prediction in rolling and sliding contact.