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Application of powder metallurgy technique to produce improved bearing elements for cryogenic aerospace engine turbopumpsTraditionally, vacuum melted 440C stainless steel is used for high performance bearings for aerospace cryogenic systems where corrosion due to condensation is a major concern. For the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), however, 440C performance in the high-pressure turbopumps has been marginal. A basic assumption of this study was that powder metallurgy, rather than cast/wrought, processing would provide the finest, most homogeneous bearing alloy structure. Preliminary testing of P/M alloys (hardness, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, fatigue resistance, and fracture toughness) was used to 'de-select' alloys which did perform as well as baseline 440C. Five out of eleven candidate materials (14-4/6V, X-405, MRC-2001, T-440V, and D-5) based on preliminary screening were selected for the actual rolling-sliding five-ball testing. The results of this test were compared with high-performance vacuum-melted M50 bearing steel. The results of the testing indicated outstanding performance of two P/M alloys, X-405 and MRC-2001, which eventually will be further evaluated by full-scale bearing testing.
Document ID
19880049930
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Moxson, V. S.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Moracz, D. J.
(Textron Materials and Manufacturing Technology Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Bhat, B. N.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Dolan, F. J.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Thom, R.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Date Acquired
August 13, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1987
Subject Category
Metallic Materials
Meeting Information
Meeting: 1987 Annual Powder Metallurgy Conference
Location: Dallas, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: May 17, 1987
End Date: May 20, 1987
Sponsors: Metal Powder Industries Federation and American Powder Metallurgy Institute.
Accession Number
88A37157
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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