Corrosion-wear characteristics of M50 bearing quality steel have been studied using a laboratory designed apparatus. The apparatus is capable of providing electrochemical measurements under loaded dynamic rolling and rolling-sliding motion. Using this equipment, corrosion current and open circuit potential were measured and the polarization curves were drawn for the M50 samples in electrolytes containing various inhibitors and lubricants.

Results of the study indicated that the tenacity and permeability of the passive layer is the key factor in determining the resistance to corrosion wear of M50 steel. Of the inhibitors studied, sodium dichromate proved to be very effective against corrosion wear. Its effectiveness is most dramatic in combination with NaNO2 and/or Na2MoO4 when the lubricant was absent. The lubricant alone did provide some protection against corrosion wear. Evaluation of tested samples by optical microscopy revealed dull and pitted contact surfaces for intermediate corrosion currents and bright or semibright surfaces for low and high corrosion currents, respectively.

Subject
Wear, Corrosion currents, Lubricants, Rolling, Density, Corrosion products, Sodium, Corrosion inhibitors, Steel, Polarization, Electrolytes, Test specimen, Oil
© 1988 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1988
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
You do not currently have access to this content.