WEA White Etching Area
| Chemical designation | WEA White Etching Area |
|---|---|
| State | WEA White Etching Area |
| Etching | 3 % Nital |
These non-etchable white layers consist of tetragonal (i.e. non-tempered) martensite and are also referred to as grinding burn. These areas also occur in rolling bearings, often close to oxide inclusions. Causes for this zone can be: grinding burn, excessive surface pressure, slipping bearing seat, wire ropes rubbing against each other.
White zones also occur during wire erosion. Self-quenching takes place in the edge zone due to the melting away of the material. An edge zone change also takes place in titanium (Link).
