Solvent Cleaning Effects on Miniature Bearing Steel Surfaces.

摘要

Traces of surface contaminants on precision miniature instrument bearings in guidance and other critical systems and greatly contribute to the ultimate failure of such systems. Current solvent-cleaning procedures employed by Navy facilities to prepare bearings for for assembly vary with respect to materials and methods, but the specific effects of these variations on the bearing surfaces are unknown. To critically examine these effects, reference surfaces of specially cleaned 52100 and 440C bearing steels were characterized at NRL by Auger electron and X-ray photo-electron spectroscopic analysis, and by wettability and infrared studies; they were then subjected to standard sequential cleaning cycles and to individual solvents at several Navy facilities, and re-examined at NRL by the same techniques. The data indicated that various quantities of hydrocarbon, ester, and other residues were deposited during the cleaning process on the reference surfaces. The results are discussed in terms of comparisons of the types, levels, and probable origins of the contaminants, and their implications regarding bearing life and reliabiity. (Author)