Ceramic is the perfect material for any application seeking to achieve higher rpm s reduce overall weight or for extremely harsh environments where high temperatures and corrosive substances are present.
Ceramic bearings better than steel.
As ceramic bearings do not.
Ceramic bearings vs steel bearings ceramic materials offer superior corrosion and heat resistance higher dimensional stability and lower density which facilitates high speed.
It is required to prevent bearing seizure when it warms up and expands.
On ceramic bearings this is usually a c3 clearance whilst on steel it s usually cn.
The bearing clearance is a measurement given to the small gap between the inner race outer race and balls.
The ceramic balls when manufactured by a top quality bearing manufacturer are rounder lighter and smoother than steel balls.
Another common difference in bearing construction is the cage type.
Full ceramic bearings have races and balls that are made entirely of ceramic material and are superior to common steel bearings in many ways.
Ceramic bearings exist to help manage heat in high rpm applications.
Most sealed ceramic bearings are actually hybrid ceramic bearings which combine a steel race with ceramic ball bearings.
They don t expand or deform when they contact each other hertzian stress as much as steel bearings when they get really hot.
It takes weeks for a kogel ball to sit in a tumbler and be perfectly polished.
They are more corrosion resistant harder and last longer in everyday use.
Ceramics are inert whereas metals are reactive making ceramics resistant to corrosive materials such as seawater and many chemicals including acids and alkalis.
A ceramic bearing is also harder than steel bearings up to 30 which improves durability and they also don t rust so less maintenance should be required.
In our higher end cult.
This reduces friction by up to 40 as well as energy loss allowing your equipment to run more efficiently with ceramic ball bearings.
While a formula 1 engine revving to 15 000 rpm can create a lot of heat that can deform and swell steel bearings.