Abstract
Rolling contact fatigue (RCF) tests were performed for two kinds of commercial silicon nitride balls using 4-Ball rolling contact fatigue life tester under EHL condition (Λ=8.9) and boundary lubrication condition (Λ=0.2). All the test balls were finished up to the dimensional accuracy of Grade 5 defined in KS B 2001 (Steel Balls for Ball Bearings) with a size of 8.731 mm. RCF tests were then conducted under the initial theoretical maximum contact stress 6.63 GPa and the spindle speed 10,000 rpm. All the test balls were not failed until 3.75 $\times$ 107 contact cycles and wear tracks of test balls were not conspicuous under EHL condition (Λ= 8.9). In the operations of low lambda regime (Λ= 0.2), all the test balls were surface damaged and high rolling wear resistance was achievable in fully densified using MgO 1 wt% and HIPed balls. Rolling wear of silicon nitride balls under boundary lubrication condition depend mainly on grain size and intergranular phase content of silicon nitride balls.
