Effect of Ultrasonic Surface Rolling on Surface Characteristics and Fretting Wear Behavior of G55SiMoVA Bearing Steel

DU Jiazheng; ZHANG Mingyuan; ZHANG Longxiao; CAI Meigui; LI Ben; WANG Shouren

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.17.011

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Surface Technology ›› 2026, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (17) : 126-142. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.17.011

Friction, Wear and Lubrication

Effect of Ultrasonic Surface Rolling on Surface Characteristics and Fretting Wear Behavior of G55SiMoVA Bearing Steel

DU Jiazheng¹, ZHANG Mingyuan^1,2,*, ZHANG Longxiao^1,2, CAI Meigui³, LI Ben¹, WANG Shouren^1,2

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Abstract

Ultrasonic Surface Rolling Process (USRP) is a surface strengthening technology. Building upon conventional static rolling, it superimposes ultrasonic vibration impact, enabling plastic deformation on metal component surfaces through a combined loading method of static force and ultrasonic vibration. G55SiMoVA steel is widely used in forging thrust bearings for petroleum drilling tools. The service performance of these bearings significantly impacts the efficient and safe operation of drilling equipment. To enhance the wear resistance of G55SiMoVA steel, this study investigated the influence of different static loads during the ultrasonic surface rolling process on the fretting wear behavior of G55SiMoVA steel. The applied static loads for USRP were 200 N, 600 N, and 1 000 N, respectively. First, the two-dimensional morphology and surface roughness of the samples before and after USRP treatment were measured with a white-light interferometer (UP-3000, RTEC). The results showed that after USRP treatment, the surface roughness of the sample decreased from 0.162 μm to 0.039 μm. Second, the microhardness along the depth direction and the surface residual compressive stress of the rolled-strengthened surface were measured with a Vickers microhardness tester (402MVD, Wolpert) and an X-ray residual stress analyzer (PROTO-iXRD), respectively. The results indicated that inhomogeneous plastic deformation induced by the applied load led to grain refinement, increasing the surface microhardness from 509.6HV0.2 to 750.2HV0.2 and enhancing the introduced surface residual compressive stress from -131.9 MPa to -724.7 MPa. Third, the microstructure of the samples before and after rolling was further analyzed with a field-emission scanning electron microscope equipped with an Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) detector. The results revealed that after USRP treatment, the average grain size of the sample decreased from 1.36 μm to 1.13 μm, with a reduction of 18%, while the density of low-angle grain boundaries increased from 47% to 67%. Subsequently, fretting wear tests were conducted under different sliding displacement amplitudes (10 μm and 80 μm).The results indicated that under different sliding displacement conditions, the fretting wear volume decreased with the increasing USRP static load. When the sliding displacement was 10 μm, the coefficient of frictions (COFs) curves of all samples initially increased and eventually stabilized. The wear mechanisms observed were mild abrasive wear and oxidative wear. As the sliding displacement increased to 80 μm, the COFs rose slowly during the first 50 cycles. Upon reaching 1 000 cycles, the COFs reached their maximum values, after which they began to decline and stabilized at around 2 000 cycles. The fretting damage in untreated samples was primarily attributed to fatigue wear, adhesive wear, and oxidative wear, whereas in USRP-treated samples, abrasive wear and oxidative wear were the dominant factors. Finally, a ball-on-plate model was established using finite element software to simulate the wear process at the initial and final stages within a single fretting cycle. The finite element simulation results demonstrated that the contact compressive stress of all samples gradually attenuated from the contact center outward. High contact compressive stress was observed at the beginning of the wear stage, which was gradually released with the formation of wear scars. In conclusion, the reduction in surface roughness, the increase in microhardness, and the enhancement of residual compressive stress work synergistically, collectively leading to a significant improvement in the wear resistance of the material.

Key words

G55SiMoVA steel / ultrasonic surface rolling / fretting wear / wear mechanism / wear resistance / finite element simulation

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DU Jiazheng, ZHANG Mingyuan, ZHANG Longxiao, CAI Meigui, LI Ben, WANG Shouren. Effect of Ultrasonic Surface Rolling on Surface Characteristics and Fretting Wear Behavior of G55SiMoVA Bearing Steel[J]. Surface Technology. 2026, 55(17): 126-142

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Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (52105185, 52375183); Development Plan of University Youth Innovation Team of Shandong Province (2024KJH101); Shandong Province Natural Science Foundation (ZR2025QC556); University of Jinan Young Faculty Interdisciplinary Convergence Development Project 2025 (XKJC-202504)