What Kind of Steel Is the Often Mentioned “Bearing Steel”?
Bearing steel is also known as high-carbon chromium steel, the carbon content of Wc is about 1%, the chromium content of Wcr is 0.5%-1.65%.
High carbon chromium bearing steel GCr15 is the world’s largest production of bearing steel, carbon Wc is about 1%, chromium content Wcr is about 1.5%, from 1901 to the birth of more than 100 years, the main composition has basically not changed, with the progress of science and technology, research work is continuing, product quality continues to improve. It accounts for more than 80% of the world’s total bearing steel production. So that if there is no special description of bearing steel, it refers to GCr15.
Applications and Classification of Bearing Steel
Bearing steel is a type of steel used to make balls, rollers and bearing rings. It can also be used to make precision measuring tools, cold stamping dies, machine tool screws, precision parts such as dies, measuring tools, taps and diesel oil pumps. Bearing steel has high and uniform hardness and wear resistance, as well as high elastic limit. The requirements for the uniformity of the chemical composition of bearing steel, the content and distribution of non-metallic inclusions, and the distribution of carbides are very strict. It is one of the most stringent steel types in all steel production.
In 1976, the International Standardization Organization ISO included some common bearing steel numbers into international standards, and the bearing steel was divided into: fully quenched bearing steel, surface hardened bearing steel, stainless bearing steel, and high temperature bearing steel.
Fully hardened bearing steel generally contains more than 0.8% carbon. Most of the bearing steel currently produced is hardened steel. In addition to the carbon content, the total alloy content is basically less than 5%.
Surface-hardened bearing steel generally contains less than 0.8% carbon. After carburizing heat treatment, carbon penetrates into the bearing surface and the carbon content can reach 0.65%~1.10%, thereby making the surface hardness reach the hardness that can be obtained from hardened steel.
With the continuous development of industry, many equipment will be developed and used in special environments. So how to ensure that bearings operating under special working conditions have good performance. For example, the aerospace industry requires the ability to operate at high temperatures, high speeds, and high loads. Others include corrosive environments, low temperature locations and high vacuum environments. More and more bearing steels for special applications are being developed.
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