Material and Heat Treatment Effect on the Bearing Inner Ring Fracture under Hoop Stress

A new test method has been developed that enables the resistance to through cracking of different bearing materials operating under the influence of hoop stress to be assessed. Using this method the resistance to through cracking of a new case hardened medium carbon bearing steel together with standard through hardened SAE 52100 and case hardened SAE 5120 bearing steels has been assessed.

The results showed that the new case hardened medium carbon and SAE 5120 steels had a higher resistance to through ring cracking than the through hardened SAE 52100 steel at a given hoop stress. The results also showed that the resistance to through cracking of the new case hardened medium carbon steel was similar to that of SAE 5120 steel.