Metal bearing material

1.  Ball bearing steel

Bearings steel is the most common material used in bearings, known for its high and uniform hardness, wear resistance, and high elastic limit. High-carbon chromium bearing steel, which undergoes electroslag remelting treatment, is characterized by its high purity, density, uniform carbonization, and excellent fatigue resistance, making it widely used. For large bearings or those with large cross-sections, additional heavy metals like manganese or molybdenum are added to enhance quenching properties and rigidity. Additionally, there are various types of bearing steels, including non-chromium bearing steel, carburized bearing steel, stainless bearing steel, medium-and high-temperature bearing steel, and anti-magnetic bearing steel.

2.  Stainless steel

For example, SUS440C (i.e., 9Cr18) has good corrosion resistance and is suitable for use in humid and polluted environments. It often has high precision, so it is widely used in medical devices, printing machinery, food processing and other applications in humid and corrosive environments.

3.  Bronze

Bronze has higher strength, better friction reduction and wear resistance, and is more widely used than brass. There are several kinds of bronze, such as tin bronze, lead bronze and aluminum bronze, among which tin bronze has the best friction reduction and is widely used.

4.  Aluminium alloy

Aluminum alloy has quite good corrosion resistance and high fatigue strength, and good friction performance. At present, copper lead alloy is being replaced by aluminum alloy.

5.  Babbitt metal

Barz alloy is named after the American Babbit, which has the characteristics of reducing friction. It is mainly used in the bearing, bearing, shaft liner and sleeve of the spindle of large machinery.

6. Gray cast iron and wear-resistant cast iron

Ordinary gray iron or wear-resistant gray cast iron with alloy components such as nickel, chromium and titanium, or ductile iron can be used as bearing materials. The flake or spherical graphite in these materials can form a lubricating graphite layer on the surface of the material, so it has certain friction reduction and wear resistance.