Hybrid and fully ceramic bearings

Hybrid and fully ceramic bearings offer many advantages over standard construction bearings, if any of the items listed below apply to your application please contact our sales office sales@carterbearings.co.uk and we will be able to advise the best solution:

» High vacuum environment
» Corrosive environment
» Ultra clean environment
» Height temperature
» Low coefficient of friction required
» High G forces on bearings
» High speeds
» Application unable to support any form of grease lubrication.

Hybrid Bearings

A hybrid bearing is a bearing which is produced from chrome steel races and ceramic balls depending on the requirement many different cage options are available

Advantages of hybrid bearings

Hybrid bearings offer solutions that use the beneficial properties of silicon nitride balls in conjunction with steel races. Advantages are as follows: Hardness. Wear resistance. Reduced lubrication requirements. Ability to withstand high temperatures. Lightweight compared to steel. Corrosion resistance. Nonmagnetic properties. Better coefficient of friction, electrically insulated.

Si₃N₄ is nearly twice as hard as bearing steels, which improves wear resistance and reduces damaging effects of repeated surface contacts. The use of ceramic rolling elements reduces lubricant degradation, significantly increasing bearing life in many applications. Si₃N₄ can operate at temperatures up to 982°C (1800oF), exceeding the best high temperature bearing steels by a factor of two. Centrifugal loading resulting from high speeds is reduced with lightweight rolling elements. Because it is essentially inert, Si₃N₄ represents a major advance in the effort to improve bearing performance in corrosive environments. And, without sacrificing bearing performance, Si₃N₄ provides the nonmagnetic properties demanded in some sensitive instrument applications.

Dry Film Lubrication Coatings

Dry film Lubrication coatings can be used on hybrid ball bearings they offer reduced friction, wear, heat generation and Torque required can increase bearing life and performance and offer lubrication in applications where grease is unsuitable such as vacuum high temperature and corrosive environments. Coatings are selected specifically for the application requirements. Carter are able to offer the following dry film lubrication coatings:

» Tungsten Disulfide
» Moly Disulphide
» Gold
» Silver
» Carbide Diamond
» Paralye

Fully Ceramic Bearings

Fully ceramic bearings are produced from Silicon Nitride Si₃N₄ and Zirconia ZrO2 ceramic materials the bearings can be full compliment or cage construction with different cage options to suit the specific application requirements. Ceramic bearings offer a high capacity with features the hybrid and standard ball bearings are unable offer, they are completely non magnetic are inert in most corrosive environments and are suitable for use without any form of grease or dry film lubrication coating and they are stable at temperatures up to 982°C (1800oF), making them ideal for use in vacuum, chemical, high temperature, cryogenic and oxygen atmospheres.

Carter can advise the optimum combination for your specific requirement please contact our office for more information sales@carterbearings.co.uk