The Effect of Corrosion of Rolling Bearing Ceramics in Alkalic Solution on the Rolling Wear and Hardness

알카리용액에서 구름베어링용 세라믹스의 부식이 구름마모 및 경도에 미치는 영향

Silicon nitride ceramic has been verified as an excellent rolling bearing material because of its high strength and outstanding rolling fatigue life properties. However under some corrosive circumstances it showed drawbacks such as hardness reduction and severe wear caused by corrosion. In this work, the variations of the rolling wear and hardness of three kinds of ceramics were studied for the specimen aged 15 days in alkali water (90$\pm$2$^{\circ}C$, 25 wt% NaOH). All of the specimens, \circled1Si$_3$N$_4$, \circled23Y-TZP and \circled33Y-TZP alloyed with 5 wt% CeO$_2$, were sintered and post-Hipped, and then polished up to 0.02 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$Ra of surface roughness. Rolling wear tests were conducted by MJ type rolling fatigue life tester under the initial theoretical maximum contact stress or 3.76 Gra and the spindle speed of 1,000 rpm. Spindle oil was used as a lubricant. The specimens were not worn before aging. For the specimen aged in alkali water, Si$_3$N$_4$and 3Y-TZP were worn by rolling wear tests, and hardness was decreased. While aging the specimens, the phase was transformed from tetragonal to monoclinic in 3Y-TZP and the microstructure change occurred in Si$_3$N$_4$. 3Y-TZP alloyed with 5 wt% CeO$_2$specimens were not worn after aging and no phase transformation occurred while aging.