FULL CERAMIC

BEARINGS

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1. Full Ceramic Bearings Technical Characteristics

 The low thermal expansion coefficient and the temperature stability of the ceramic crystalline
structure allow full ceramic bearings to be used in high or very high temperature applications (up
to 1400°C by choosing the right material).
 The wear of full ceramic bearings is far lower than standard bearings in 100Cr6 thanks to low
friction coefficient and higher temperature resistance even with poor or absent lubrication.
 The ceramic materials used for bearing construction have a very high chemical resistance even in
very aggressive environments (strongly acidic or basic environments, in the presence of inorganic
or organic salts, sea water) and they don’t oxidize.
 Full ceramic bearings have excellent electrical insulation and are amagnetic.
 Full ceramic bearings can work with poor or without lubrication (water lubrication is possible)
 Full ceramic bearings can be used in high or very high-speed applications.
 Full ceramic bearings weigh less than the same size in 100Cr6. The weight gain depends on the
ceramic material used but can be considered between 20 and 50%. The lower weight means that
the ceramic bearing has a lower inertia than the bearing of the same size in 100Cr6 causing,
therefore, less stress on the mechanical parts of the machine in which they are assemblied.

2. Materials used for full ceramic bearings manufacturing

Rings and rolling elements of full ceramic bearings can be manufactured with the following materials:

 ZrO2 (zirconium dioxide aka zirconia)

 Si3N4 (silicon nitride)
 SiC (silicon carbide)
 Al2O3 (alumina)

Cages, when used, can be manufactured with the following materials:

 PEEK
 PTFE (teflon)
 PA66 (nylon)
 Other plastic materials (rarely used): PFA (it belongs to the same chemical family of PTFE but
with better dielectric characteristics), PET, PVDF (fluorinated elastomer which is also used in
antioxidant paint for metals), phenolic resin (like bakelite)
 Stainless steel AISI304 or AISI316 (very rarely used).

Seals, when used, can be manufactured in PEEK or PTFE.

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3. Technical Characteristics of materials used in full ceramic bearings

Characteristic Unit ZrO2 Si3N4 SiC Al2O3 100Cr6

Density g/cm3 6.0 3.3 3.2 3.8 7.81
Vickers Hardness 12.3 14 22 15.2
GPa 62HRC
HV9.807N (>72HRC) (>72HRC) (>72HRC) (>72HRC)

Flexural Strength MPa 1000 1020 540 310 2300

Compression Strength MPa 1800 >2500 2200 >2000 –

Young’s Module GPa 200 300 430 360 210

Poisson’s Ratio 0.31 0.28 0.16 0.23 0.3
Fracture Toughness MPa • m1/2 4–5 7 4–5 3–4 –
Coeff. of 40 – 400°C 10.5 2.8 7.2 7.2
linear x 10-6/K 12
thermal 40 – 800°C 11.0 3.3 8 8
expansion
Thermal Conductivity
W/(m • K) 3 27 60 29 46.6
(@20°C)
Specific Heat Capacity J/(g • K) 0.46 0.65 0.67 0.79 0.47
ΔT thermal shock in
°C 300 800 400 200 –
water
Dielectric resistance kV/mm 11 13 - 15 –
Weight loss in Nitric
mg/cm2 0.00 1.11 0.04 0.10 –
Acid (60%) 90°C, 24h
Weight loss in
Sulphuric Acid (95%) mg/cm2 0.04 0 0.01 0.33 –
95°C, 24 h
Weight loss in Sodium
Hydroxide (30%) 80°C, mg/cm2 0.08 0.22 0.00 0.26 –
24h

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 Plastic Material Maximum temperature (°C)
PEEK 260
PTFE 180
PA66 90

4. Manufacturing Process of Full Ceramic Bearings

The raw rings of the ceramic bearings are mainly obtained by thermal sintering: the ceramic powder
(a polymeric binder is added to the powder and will be eliminated in the subsequent steps) is pressed
into a mold having a suitable shape. The ring (cast) is then transferred to special furnaces where the
polymeric binder is eliminated and the actual sintering is carried out eliminating all porosity (the
process can reach 2000°C). In the case of very high-demanding applications (where the final quality
of the ring is required to be very high) it is used a thermomechanical sintering by hot isostatic
pressing: after having obtained the casting as in thermal sintering, the rings are inserted in a special
mold where an high isostatic pressure (20 - 50 MPa) is applied along with high temperature (up to
2100°C). The raw rings are then processed through a series of grinding operations until the final ring
is obtained.
The rolling elements undergo a manufacturing process similar to the above written.
Plastic cages and seals are generally obtained by machining from tubes or rounds.
Full ceramic bearings follow the same assembly operations and quality control checks of steel
bearings.

5. Full Ceramic Bearings types

The following types of full ceramic bearings can be manufactured:

 Deep groove ball bearings, single row (series 60, 62, 63, 64, 618, 619, 160, 622 and 623)
 Deep groove ball bearings, double row (series 42 and 43)
 Axial deep groove ball bearings, single direction (series 511, 512, 513 and 514)
 Self-aligning ball bearings (series 12, 22 and 23)
 Angular contact ball bearings, single row (series 70, 72, 73, 718 and for spindle application)
 Angular contact ball bearings, double row (series 30, 32, 33 and 38)
 Special ball bearings, custom design

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 Cylindrical roller bearings and needle roller bearings should be studied case by case.
Tapered roller bearings and spherical roller bearings cannot be manufactured.
For 2RS or 2Z versions, it must be considered that the seals that are normally used on ceramic
bearings are in PTFE or PEEK (therefore there are no rubber or metallic seals). Both seal versions can
be manufactured with the same plastic material. The difference between the 2 versions is that RS
version will have a slightly sliding lip while the Z seal will be a no-contact seal.

There is the possibility of having 2RS seals in NBR or Viton but their application is for extremely rare
cases where it is absolutely necessary to protect the rolling elements from external dust.

6. Dimension, precision classes, clearance classes

The manufacturable range of full ceramic bearings is the following:

- Minimum inner diameter = 2 mm
- Maximum external diameter = 300 mm
Clearance classes are according the standards of steel bearings (C2, C0, C3, C4 e C5); it is possible to
manufacture full ceramic bearings with special clearance class compatible with the required precision
grade.
The maximum precision grade for full ceramic bearings is P4.

7. Fields of application of full ceramic bearings

Thanks to the features highlighted in point 1, some examples of full ceramic bearings fields of
application are:

 Food sector

 Filling: ceramic bearings can be a winning choice to avoid any contaminations of the food with
the lubrication grease because they can be used with little or no lubrication. Ceramic bearings
can be also manufactured greased for life, considerably simplifying the lubrication system
(cost reduction). Ceramic bearing can be also lubricated by spraying water.
 Labelling: the hot cutting of labels is carried out at temperatures even higher than 120°C;
normally, this operation requires the use of steel bearings stabilized for high temperatures
greased with special greases for high temperatures (sometimes also food grade grease for
high temperature). The ceramic bearings, thanks to the high temperature resistance and the
use of a suitable cage (for example PEEK) allow to solve the assembly and durability problems.

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  Ovens: the capacity of ceramic bearings to work at high temperatures can be exploited in
cooking ovens or in transport systems inside ovens.
 Can seamers: the use of ceramic bearings can increase the life of the seamers, reducing the
maintenance frequency and machine down times. Using greased for life ceramic bearings it is
possible to eliminate the lubrication system (grease or oil) with considerable simplification of
the machine design.
 Handling with yoke type track rollers: in applications where lubrication is difficult or where
there is high temperature or where it is necessary to have corrosion resistance, it is possible
to use ceramic bearings as yoke type track rollers.
 Bearing corrosion due to sanitizing operations: ceramic bearings are insensitive to the
substances that are used for sanitizing and, therefore, they are a valid solution to the problem
of corrosion of steel bearings.
 Miscellaneous: in all situations where lubrication may be difficult or even the absence of
lubrication may be required or where stability to temperature modification or corrosion
resistance is important, it is possible to study the application of ceramic bearings.

 Machine tool spindles

Lightness and low inertia, insensitivity to heat and reduced or no lubrication are features that
make ceramic bearings interesting in this type of application.

 Pumps for liquids or vacuum

In these products ceramic bearings can be interesting because they can work with poor
lubrication and are insensitive to heat.

 Bicycles and bikes

The most important aspects that make full ceramic bearings suitable for this sector are: low
friction and, therefore, reduction of power dispersion; extremely low or even no lubrication;
resistance to heavy washes using high pressure washers; lightness and resistance to high
temperatures.

 Medical instruments

Ceramic bearings are not magnetic and therefore they can be used in machines subjected to
strong magnetic fields without changing their function. Other useful and interesting aspects are
lightness and the strongly reduced necessity to be lubricated.

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  Other applications

The electrical insulation capacity of ceramic bearings can be very useful where electric discharge
can happen through the bearing or where it is necessary to ensure electrical insulation between
the moving and the fixed part.

Similarly, the high resistance of ceramics to the chemical agents allows the use of ceramic
bearings in the chemical or petrochemical industry.

8. Aspects to consider when using ceramic bearings

Ceramic is a material that has a structural behavior different from steel.

It is very hard but at the same time fragile. It has high compressive strength but low flexural strength.
All this means that the bearing theory, as it was developed for steel bearings, cannot be applied to
ceramic bearings.
To date, no technical information is available that allows us to calculate the load capacity of a ceramic
bearing and verify its durability, as in the case of steel bearings. The technique that is commonly
adopted for the verification of the ceramic bearing is to consider it as if it were made of steel, to
calculate its duration and to apply a multiplicative coefficient that depends on the conditions of use
(in some situations it can even reach life thousands of times greater than those of steel bearings).
The determination, however, of this multiplicative coefficient is not possible by calculation and,
therefore, it is fundamental the test phase to verify the effective validity of the choice of the ceramic
bearing.
Other aspects to be considered in the use of ceramic bearings are the low traction resistance and the
lower thermal expansion than steel.
Because of the low traction resistance, the fitting of ceramic bearings on the inner ring must be
determined very carefully to avoid cracks and failures. For this reason, it is common that, when steel
bearings need to be substituted by ceramic bearings, shafts and, sometimes, housing tolerances must
be changed accordingly.
In addition to this last point, the thermal expansion of ceramics is lower than steel and this means
that the shaft (metallic) will expand more than the bearing inner ring, causing an increasing of the
interference between shaft and inner ring, that is an increasing of the traction stress on the inner
ring of the bearing.
A similar behavior is caused by RPM, so, to design in the right way the fitting of the shaft and the
bearing inner ring or the fitting of the housing and the bearing external ring, fitting interference,
temperature and RPM must be evaluated carefully.

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 PLASTIC
BEARINGS

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1. Main technical characteristics of plastic bearings

 The plastic bearings have rings manufactured in plastic (PEEK, PTFE, PA66, POM), balls in ceramic
(Si3N4, ZrO2), plastic (PEEK, PTFE, PA66, POM) or glass and cages in plastic (PEEK, PTFE, PA66,
POM).
 Thanks to the characteristics of the various plastic materials, it is possible to design bearings
suitable for highly corrosive environments (highly acidic or basic environments, in the presence
of inorganic or organic salts, sea water), temperature-critical environments (high temperatures
and low temperatures), environments subjected to magnetic and / or electric fields.
 Thanks to low friction coefficients (0.05) and low weight (5-6 times lower than the weight of the
corresponding steel bearing), plastic bearings are suitable when it is important to minimize the
mechanical power dissipated by the bearing due to friction and inertia of moving parts.
 Excellent electrical insulation
 Non-magnetic
 Without lubrication

2. Manufacturing materials ol plastic bearings

Rings, plastic rolling elements and cages can be manufactured with the following materials:
 PEEK
 PTFE (teflon)
 POM (polyoxymethylene, acetal resin – delrin)

Rolling elements of plastic bearings can be manufactured also with the following materials:
 ZrO2 (zirconium dioxide aka zirconia)
 Si3N4 (silicon nitride)
 Glass

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3. Technical characteristics of plastic bearings in PEEK.

Plastic bearings in PEEK can be manufactured with

Component Material
Rings PEEK
Balls PEEK, ZrO2, Si3N4
Cage PTFE, PEEK, PA66

These bearings can be used up to 260°C and show extraordinary characteristics of mechanical strength,
stiffness, flexural strength, hardness (even at low temperatures), dimensional stability with temperature
changes, chemical resistance, resistance to X-rays and Infrared rays. It is self-extinguishing according to UL94.

4. Technical characteristics of plastic bearings in PTFE.

Plastic bearings in PTFE can be manufactured with

Component Material
Rings PTFE
Balls PTFE, ZrO2, Si3N4, Glass
Cage PTFE, PEEK

These bearings can be used in the temperature range -40°C/200°C and show extraordinary characteristics of
chemical resistance, dimensional stability with temperature changes, very low friction coefficients, good
mechanical characteristics.

5. Technical characteristics of plastic bearings in POM.

Plastic bearings in POM can be manufactured with

Component Material
Rings POM
Balls POM, ZrO2, Si3N4, Glass
Cage POM

These bearings can be used in the temperature range -60°C/100°C. POM is characterized by high hardness,
rigidity, toughness, low water absorption, high dimensional stability, good electrical insulation properties,
suitable for the production of bushes, high resistance to wear and tear, high resistance to solvents. It is not
suitable where there are high concentrations of acids or strong oxidizers.

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6. Plastic bearings types

The types of plastic bearings that can be made are the most common but, thanks to the easy
workability of the raw materials, they are especially suitable to the manufacturing of custom
products.

7. Plastic bearings precision

The precision of plastic bearings cannot be, of course, the precision of steel bearings.
For example, a deep groove ball bearing in PTFE with inner diameter 30 mm has an axial clearance
between 0.2 and 0.27 mm, the tolerance on the external diameter is 0/-0.2mm, the tolerance on the
inner diameter is 0/+ 0.2mm and the width tolerance is 0/-0.2mm.

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 HYBRID
BEARINGS

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Main technical characteristics of hybrid bearings

Hybrid bearings are manufactured with rings in 100Cr6 or stainless steel and balls in ceramic.
They were initially developed for machine tool spindle because ceramic balls (mainly Si3N4) allow to
increase the maximum speed, the bearing stiffness and reduce the need for lubrication.
The stainless steel used for the rings of these bearings is AISI420 or AISI440C.
Balls can be manufactured in ZrO2 or Si3N4.
Cages can be manufactured in PEEK, PTFE or PA66.
Seals are the same used on standard steel bearings.
Standard hybrid bearing precision is P0 or P5. It is possible to manufacture P4 bearings but this needs
to be studied case by case.

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