Abstract White etching area (WEA) has become a big challenge for bearing failure under rolling contact fatigue. Despite of the extensive investigations, the origin of the WEA has not yet been well understood. This work attempts to elucidate the origin based on a new perspective that both the WEA and the shear band (SB) can be the common responses under shear plastic deformation in bearing steel, rather than the unique phenomenon in rolling contact fatigue. First, the SB is generated under quasi-static compression loading, indicating that the SB does not necessarily have to be adiabatic and is not limited to high strain rate loading. Second, the WEA is produced under rolling contact fatigue. The SB is compared with the WEA in terms of shear localization, microstructures, formation mechanism and crack development. The results suggest that both the SB and the WEA can be regarded as the shear localization under large plastic deformation. The SB consists of either nanocrystallines or well-developed equiaxed grains with transformed austenite. The WEA consists of either nanocrystallines or a mixed structure of amorphous phase and nanocrystallines with transformed austenite. Connecting the WEA with the SB provides a new insight into interpreting the origin and formation mechanism of the WEA, and help the further understanding of bearing failure under rolling contact fatigue.

中文翻译：

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揭示轴承钢滚动接触疲劳白蚀区剪切带起源

摘要 白蚀区（WEA）已成为滚动接触疲劳下轴承失效的一大挑战。尽管进行了广泛的调查，但 WEA 的起源尚未得到很好的理解。这项工作试图从新的角度阐明起源，即 WEA 和剪切带 (SB) 都可以是轴承钢剪切塑性变形下的常见响应，而不是滚动接触疲劳中的独特现象。首先，SB 是在准静态压缩载荷下产生的，这表明 SB 不一定是绝热的，并且不限于高应变率载荷。其次，WEA 是在滚动接触疲劳下产生的。SB 在剪切定位、微观结构、形成机制和裂纹发展方面与 WEA 进行了比较。结果表明 SB 和 WEA 都可以看作是大塑性变形下的剪切局部化。SB 由纳米晶或具有转变奥氏体的发育良好的等轴晶粒组成。WEA 由纳米晶体或非晶相和具有转变奥氏体的纳米晶体的混合结构组成。将 WEA 与 SB 联系起来，为解释 WEA 的起源和形成机制提供了新的见解，有助于进一步了解滚动接触疲劳下的轴承失效。WEA 由纳米晶体或非晶相和具有转变奥氏体的纳米晶体的混合结构组成。将 WEA 与 SB 联系起来，为解释 WEA 的起源和形成机制提供了新的见解，有助于进一步了解滚动接触疲劳下的轴承失效。WEA 由纳米晶体或非晶相和具有转变奥氏体的纳米晶体的混合结构组成。将 WEA 与 SB 联系起来，为解释 WEA 的起源和形成机制提供了新的见解，有助于进一步了解滚动接触疲劳下的轴承失效。