Optimized Corrosion Resistant Bearing and Gear Steel Thermal Processing

High performance mechanical systems such as bearing and gears in advanced gas turbine engines for the Joint Strike Fighter(JSF) are required to operate at ever increasing speeds, temperature and loads. An advanced high temperature case hardened bearing steel Pyrowear 675 has been developed for these applications. The basic mechanical properties and desired microstructure can be achieved by conventional carburizing techniques but corrosion resistance is not substantially better than conventional bearing steels like M50 and 440C. UES proposes to demonstrate the feasibility of developing an innovative technology that will allow Pyrowear 675 to be thermally processed to provide enhanced corrosion resistance while maintaining required mechanical properties and microstructure. The thermally processed Pyrowear 675 will be characterized for mechanical and physical properties. The thermal process will be optimized for processing of full scale bearings and gears in Phase II.