Silicone Nitride Balls

Silicone nitride is a high-performance material designed to withstand extreme temperatures and conditions, including its lightweight composition which reduces friction during high-speed operations and is resistant to corrosion and chemicals.

Conventionally, finishing HIPed Si3N4 balls involves polishing them with harder abrasives that leave scratches and subsurface defects on finished ceramics. In this paper, chemo-mechanical polishing provides an alternative finishing method.

High Elastic Modulus

Silicon nitride’s high elastic modulus means it is extremely stiff and can quickly return to its original state after being deformed, helping maintain precision under load by minimizing energy loss and friction while simultaneously decreasing heat generation in high-speed bearings and increasing efficiency while lengthening system lifespan. This property allows mechanical systems operating under load to keep running with precision while decreasing energy loss and friction loss, and also helps extend system lifespan by decreasing generation of heat while increasing efficiency and lifespan of mechanical components.

Hybrid and full ceramic bearings are comprised of steel inner and outer rings with ceramic balls and retainers in between, used in applications where high speeds, heavy loads, or exposure to corrosive elements require superior performance. Silicon nitride’s lower density than steel allows it to reduce centrifugal force and skidding for up to 30% higher running speeds without as much lubrication.

Ceramic balls’ lower weight also helps reduce vibration and spindle deflection, increasing accuracy. Their thermal expansion coefficient is lower than steel’s, minimizing temperature sensitivity and seizing concerns while their high hardness and toughness provide protection from external hard particles that could potentially damage them.

ZYS silicon nitride ceramic balls are created using advanced techniques, including spray drying granulation, cold isostatic pressing, net size molding, GPS HIP sintering process and high-efficiency grinding to achieve G5 precision and grade 1 material quality.

Low Friction Coefficient

Full ceramic bearings offer much lower friction coefficients than stainless steel or hybrid bearings, enabling them to carry more load with reduced friction. Ceramic material also tends to expand and contract more slowly when subjected to changes in temperature than metals do, providing greater reliability during operation at higher temperatures than their metal counterparts.

Ceramics feature an extremely low coefficient of friction (0.001) when in contact with each other, which can be further increased when coated with lubricants for improved results. Ceramics are therefore ideal for applications where centrifugal force or skidding could pose major difficulties.

Lubricated coatings can dramatically improve the tribological properties of ceramic materials, including their wear resistance. Sintered silicon nitride ball tribological performance can further be enhanced with the inclusion of FL-GNP (femtosecond laser-induced nanoparticles).

Sintered FL-GNP-based Si3N4 ceramics were prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) using various compositions of monolithic Si3N4. Optical microscopy images show that, when composites with 3 wt% FL-GNP addition have almost no abrasion grooves when compared to monolithic samples; their friction coefficient, elastic modulus hardness and fracture toughness were significantly increased due to this addition, as were their friction coefficient, elastic modulus hardness and fracture toughness properties; while their tribological properties were further improved using isooctane as lubricant.

High Strength

Silicon nitride balls boast high mechanical strength and destructive toughness, which allows them to withstand significant force without succumbing to degradation. Their chemical resistance also means they’re great at working in harsh environments where other materials would disintegrate quickly, while their non-magnetic properties make them perfect for applications that demand non-conductive materials.

Ceramic balls boast exceptional temperature resistance. Their hardness remains constant at 800 degrees Celsius, meaning they can withstand high-speed operation without deforming. Furthermore, these ceramic balls can also be used in applications which demand corrosion-resistant materials such as sea water or strong acids or alkalis environments.

Si3n4 balls stand out for more than just their exceptional hardness; their low density also allows them to be lighter than steel bearings and reduces centrifugal forces during rotation, leading to faster speeds and reduced wear on surfaces. Furthermore, being self-lubricating means they operate without oil-based lubricants that cause pollution issues.

Produced through an efficient process from powder to finished product. They are either sinterized using GPS (gas pressure sintering) or HIP (hot isostatic pressing), depending on customer requirements, then ground for uniform size and spherical precision before going through extensive quality control procedures to meet exacting specifications required for demanding applications. This ensures each of our products meet exacting specifications that exceed those demanded of them by customers.

High Corrosion Resistance

Silicon nitride ceramic balls are high-performance ceramic materials used in an array of applications. Due to its resistance against temperature extremes, wear, abrasion, corrosion and environmental stresses they make ideal choices for ball and cylindrical roller bearings in machine tools, car and aircraft engines as well as aluminium smelters.

Si3n4 balls feature low friction coefficients that minimise energy loss and heat generation, leading to improved efficiency and longer system lifespan. Their low coefficient makes them particularly suitable for situations that require high-speed operation while their reduced lubrication requirements reduce maintenance costs and further enhance reliability of machinery.

These balls boast an exceptionally hardness – up to 20 times harder than steel – that helps protect bearings from damage and extend their lifespan. In addition, these chemically inert balls can withstand high temperatures for use in applications involving chemical processing or similar environments.

Manufacturing these ceramic balls begins with spray drying granulation and continues through spray isostatic pressure molding, net size molding, GPS HIP sintering, grinding and polishing processes. A stringent inspection and testing program ensures each batch meets rigorous application demands with strength and durability.