brittle ceramic balls

[Tmoose]

Hybrid ceramic ball bearings use silicon nitride balls.

I whacked one (used, been in my desk drawer for 6 to 10 years, 0.375 inch diameter, from a precision spindle bearing) with a 16 ounce ball-pien hammer yesterday.
The ball is visually fine. It might be 0.0001 inch out of round now, It was probably much rounder when new, but I did not measure it before.

 

[MikeHalloran]

I think ceramic parts are either perfect, or fractured.
No plastic deformation.




Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[Skogsgurra]

That's an interesting experiment.

No doubt you hit it vigorously - the dent in the steel part is quite deep. But, as Mike says, the ball itself probably didn't change.
0.0001" out of round is a lot for a 0.375" ball. Is it really that bad? Is that why the bearing was removed from the spindle?

Gunnar Englund

http://www.gke.org

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