Influence of Silicon on Pitting Life of Carburized Steel Treated by Shot Peening

Author:  Junya Miyauchi, Ryohei Ishikura, Keisuke Inoue, Kohei Yamaguchi
Source:  ICSP-13
Doc ID:  2017048
Year of Publication:  2017
Abstract:  
With environmental issues as the background, there is a high need for more compact and lightweight gear parts for automobiles and industrial machinery, in order to improve fuel efficiency. Increasing the strength of individual parts is thus required, and a widely used means to achieve higher strength is shot peening (SP), with the results of examinations for the effects of SP for bending fatigue resistance of the gear tooth root and pitting resistance of the tooth surface having been reported. 1),2)Reducing the size and weight of the actual parts could be achieved by increasing strength on both the driving and driven sides, so performing SP on both sides is presumed. Regarding the pitting life of specimens with SP performed on both the driving and driven sides, the effects of the surface hardness, residual stress and surface roughness before testing on the pitting life were reported by Suzuki et al.3)It was also reported that the addition of silicon (Si) that results in an increased hardness after tempering at 573 K and in the keeping of compressive residual stress in a high temperature environment is effective for improving pitting life.4) However, there has never been any report of a study about the effects of alloying elements on the pitting life of steel components with SP performed on both the driving and driven sides.