Types And Applications Of Bearing Steel
Bearing steel classification standards
Bearing steel is a special steel used to manufacture bearing rolling elements and rings. Bearing steel is widely used in various fields such as industrial machinery, equipment manufacturing, transportation, aerospace and so on. In different fields, the working conditions and application environments of bearings are different. Therefore, different bearing steel materials need to be selected.
According to the ISO1976 standard promulgated by the International Organization for Standardization ISO, bearing steel is mainly divided into four categories: surface-hardened bearing steel, fully-hardened bearing steel, high-temperature bearing steel and stainless bearing steel. In China, the classification of bearing steel is basically consistent with the ISO classification, mainly including high carbon chromium bearing steel, carburized bearing steel, high temperature bearing steel and stainless bearing steel.
High carbon chromium bearing steel
First of all, high carbon chromium bearing steel occupies an important position in bearing manufacturing due to its unique properties. Its carbon content is about 1%, and its chromium content is about 1.5%. Silicon, manganese, molybdenum and other elements are added to significantly improve the hardness, wear resistance and hardenability of the steel.
High-carbon chromium bearing steel occupies an important position in automobile manufacturing, machinery manufacturing and other fields due to its high hardness, high wear resistance and excellent dimensional stability. Specifically, it is widely used in the manufacturing of bearings in key parts of automobile engines, transmission systems, chassis systems, etc., ensuring that these components can maintain good performance and lifespan under high-speed operation and heavy load conditions. In addition, high-carbon chromium bearing steel is also used in the manufacturing of bearings for machine tool spindles, precision instruments and other equipment to meet the requirements for high precision and stability.
Representative steel types of high carbon chromium bearing steel include 100Cr6 from Germany, AISI 52100 from the United States, SUJ2 from Japan, and GCr15 from China.
Carburized bearing steel
High carbon chromium bearing steel has high carbon content, but its impact toughness is relatively low. Therefore, carburized bearing steel becomes a more suitable choice when it is necessary to withstand impact loads. Carburized bearing steel is obtained by reducing the carbon content and carburizing the surface of the steel based on low alloy structural steel. This kind of steel has high surface hardness and good wear resistance, while the core has good toughness, making it especially suitable for situations where it can withstand impact loads.
In the fields of large agricultural machinery, mining equipment, and road construction machinery, carburized bearing steel is widely used in the manufacture of bearings. These equipment usually need to operate in harsh working environments and withstand large impacts and vibrations, so bearing materials are required to have good impact resistance.
Representative steel types of carburized bearing steel include G20CrMo, G20CrNiMo, etc.
Stainless bearing steel
Stainless bearing steel mainly includes two categories: martensitic stainless steel and austenitic stainless steel. Martensitic stainless steel has higher hardness and wear resistance, while austenitic stainless steel has better corrosion resistance but weaker impact load tolerance. Therefore, when selecting stainless steel bearing steel, it needs to be determined according to the specific use environment and requirements.
Stainless bearing steel is widely used in special environments due to its corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance. In the field of food and medical equipment, stainless steel bearing steel is used to manufacture bearings that need to be corrosion-resistant and easy to clean to ensure the hygiene and safety of the equipment. In the petrochemical and offshore platform fields, stainless steel bearing steel can resist chemical corrosion and seawater erosion, ensuring long-term stable operation of the bearings. In addition, stainless steel bearing steel is also suitable for manufacturing precision micro bearings to meet the high precision and reliability requirements of micro equipment.
High temperature bearing steel
High-temperature bearing steel plays an important role in high-temperature working environments due to its high-temperature resistance. This kind of steel can maintain high hardness, high strength, high dimensional stability, good oxidation resistance and low thermal expansion at high temperatures.
Therefore, high-temperature bearing steel is widely used in bearing manufacturing in high-temperature working environments such as aerospace, petrochemical industry, and metal smelting. In the aerospace field, high-temperature bearing steel is used to manufacture bearings for key components such as engines and turbines to ensure that these components can maintain stable performance under high-temperature and high-speed operating conditions. In the fields of petrochemical industry and metal smelting, high-temperature bearing steel can withstand high temperatures and harsh chemical environments to ensure the normal operation of production equipment.
Representative steel types of high-temperature bearing steel include 8Cr4Mo4V, 10Cr14Mo4, etc.
To sum up, there are many types of bearing steel, each with its own characteristics, suitable for different fields and working environments. When selecting bearing steel, the most suitable type needs to be determined based on specific usage conditions and requirements to ensure the best performance and life of the bearing.