Advanced Heat Treatments and Complex Ferritic Structures for Bearing Steels

Abstract

Nanostructured bainitic steels exhibit an optimum strength/toughness combination as a consequence of their extremely fine structure. They have also demonstrated potential for wear-resistance applications. The aim of this work was to develop bearing steels by the multi-scale control of complex ferritic structures, designed using atomic transformation theory and processed by novel heat treatments. Based on the results, the new ball bearings outperformed conventional grades, approaching more expensive material options.

Keywords

• steel
• bainite
• ultra-high strength
• wear resistance
• ball bearings