Scientific paper ID 54 : 2005/1

This paper is an attempt to define the contact fatigue life of the 38Х2НМФА steel after different methods of hardening. On the basis of a careful literary study and performed theoretical and experimental analyses is made the hypothesis, that as the deep of the maximum ? stresses are greater, the contact fatigue strength is higher. In support of this theory is made analyze of the different layers of the hardened material on the specimens of the middle carbon steel 38Cr2NMoV after hardening, ion nitriding, nitrocarburizing and induction hardening.