Develomment of a carburizing stainless steel alloy

A new carburizing stainless steel alloy that resists corrosion, heat, and fatigue has been developed for bearing and gear applications. Pyrowear 675 Stainless alloy is vacuum induction melted and vacuum arc remelted (VIM/VAR) for aircraft-quality cleanliness. Test results show that it has corrosion resistance similar to that of AISI Type 440-C stainless, and its rolling fatigue resistance is superior to that of AISI M50 (UNS K88165). In contrast to alloy gear steels and Type 440C, Pyrowear 675 maintains case hardness of HRC 60 at operating temperatures up to 200 C (400 F). Impact and fracture toughness are superior to that of other stainless bearing steels, which typically are relatively brittle and can break under severe service. Toughness is also comparable or superior to conventional noncorrosion-resistant carburizing bearing steels, such as SAE Types 8620 and 9310.