A series of experimental hypereutectoid pearlitic steels were tested under rolling contact sliding conditions using a lubricated twin-disc setup to study the influence of different chemical compositions and heat treatments on rolling contact fatigue life. Tested samples were then characterised using microscopy and synchrotron measurements as a function of depth from the contact surface. Results, analysed through neural networks, indicate that the most influential factor in lengthening the number of cycles to crack initiation of hypereutectoid steels is hardness, attained by increasing the cooling rate from the hot rolling temperature, but adequate alloying additions can enhance it further. The harder, fast-cooled samples displayed less plastic flow at the surface than the softer slow-cooled ones. With regard to chemical composition, silicon was found to strengthen the ferrite thus reducing strain incompatibilities with the cementite, preventing in this way the fragmentation and eventual dissolution of the lamellae. This is beneficial since larger depths of cementite dissolution were found in samples with lower cycles to crack initiation for a given cooling rate (hardness). Samples containing vanadium lasted longer and displayed less plastic deformation at the surface than those without, at a similar hardness.

使用润滑双盘装置在滚动接触滑动条件下测试了一系列实验性超共析珠光体钢，以研究不同化学成分和热处理对滚动接触疲劳寿命的影响。然后使用显微镜和同步加速器测量对测试样品进行表征，该测量是距接触表面深度的函数。通过神经网络分析的结果表明，延长过共析钢的裂纹萌生周期数最重要的因素是硬度，可以通过提高热轧温度的冷却速率来获得，但是适当的合金添加可以进一步提高硬度。与较软的慢冷样品相比，较硬的，快冷的样品在表面显示的塑料流动较少。关于化学成分，硅被发现可以增强铁素体，从而减少应变与渗碳体的不相容性，从而防止薄片破裂和最终溶解。这是有益的，因为在给定的冷却速率（硬度）下，发现在较低的开裂周期下样品中渗碳体溶解的深度更大。与不含钒的样品相比，含钒的样品在硬度相似的情况下，其使用寿命更长，并且表面的塑性变形较小。