Silicon nitride balls are used in high technology industries such as aerospace and defense, inside hybrid bearings and full ceramic bearings. Main features are the excellent corrosion resistance from chemicals and other demanding environmental conditions, the reduced density that minimizes centrifugal force, skidding and wear under high speed and acceleration, the resistance to fatigue of around 10 times more than in chrome steel balls, the electric insulation properties and capability to resist very high temperatures.
Elite offers silicon nitride balls in the range from 0.5 to 63.5 mm, in quality grades starting from G3 to G20. For miniature balls it is possible also to supply extreme quality grades like G2 and even G1.
The sintered material (both as for HIP and GPS technology) is from China or from USA/Europe and can be supplied in class I and II according to ASTM F2094, as for customers’ requirements.
Furthermore, Elite can provide silicon nitride ball blanks in the range from 0.8 to 50.8 mm diameter. They are available with reduced stock allowance vs finished ball size (in order to minimize the processing times in grinding and lapping) and with certification of all the geometrical and mechanical properties.
High values of fracture toughness (above 6.0 MPa * square root meter), flexural strength (higher than 900 MPa, as for three points method) and low or nihil porosity can be achieved with the proposed Elite blanks and finished balls: this results into higher resistance to fatigue and wear of balls, with reduced risk of failure even in the toughest applications.
Balls in other ceramic raw materials (like silicon carbide balls, zirconia oxide and alumina oxide) can also be provided upon request.
